


Cold World

by Shadowkira



Category: Person of Interest (TV)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Alternate Universe - Vampire, F/F, Horror, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-07-04
Updated: 2015-04-19
Packaged: 2018-02-07 11:25:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 37,836
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1897242
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowkira/pseuds/Shadowkira
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sameen Shaw is a hunter, proficient in killing any and all supernatural creatures that threaten the human race. The world is changing and Shaw’s fateful encounter with a beautiful and mischievous vampire only makes that more obvious.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shoot AU : Vampires
> 
> Rating: M
> 
> Genre(s): Action / Horror / Romance
> 
> Setting: Sort of season 2 for POI, vampires are mostly like True Blood (since that is what I have been watching recently), a little of Underworld and my own ideas.
> 
> Note: Title may change at some point, I'm not fully happy with it at the moment but it does have some connection to the plot. So, it will have to do for now.

* * *

 

Shaw walked casually through the small crowd that had lingered outside of the club. She could hear music seeping out from the partially opened doors as she approached.

The atmosphere from what she could see was nothing unexpected.

Dark, dim lighting, mostly composed of varying shades of red and black. 

She paused in front of the bouncer leaning against the front door and tried to ignore the sleazy way he was dragging his eyes up her body.

"First time here?" He asked, the  _'I think I'd remember a pretty face like yours'_  spoken with his leering rather than his mouth.

"Yes, is it that obvious?" She asked, keeping the bored look on her face but bringing a more sweet tone to her voice. 

He smirked, his lips pulling wide to expose elongated canines. “Barely. It can be a shock to the system if you’re a first timer who comes alone…”

"I think I can manage." Shaw shot back confidently, her own smirk slipping across her lips.

His eyebrows raised and he chuckled. “Good luck.”

As soon as he nodded, giving her the okay to head in, Shaw walked through the door. She could feel several sets of eyes land on her as soon as she was over the threshold.

Shaw was a hunter, she had worked for a special unit for nearly five years that had hunted down any manner of inhuman beast that was a threat to the public. Never questioning the judgement of her superiors. Until now, that is.

It was Cole really, who had pushed the topic. Shaw would have never readily admitted that similar thoughts had started to creep into the back of her mind with every new mission.

Vampires were one of the most common and notorious of the beasts they took out. Young and old vampires were dangerous for their own reasons. The older they were, the less violent they tended to be. Their age gave them strength that far exceeded that of their younger counterparts. 

They were wise, strong and some even had the ability to walk in the sunlight.

Younger vampires were slaves to their thirst, aggressive and sometimes bordering mindless. They lacked the self control needed to keep a human alive while feeding and were one of the leading causes of vampire related deaths.

Shaw hated baby vamps, her body was littered with scars from claws and teeth that had caught her before she had mastered the art of killing them at a distance. (That required a lot of stealth and very, very good aim.)

Recently though, vampires had stepped out from the shadows. Or, as they liked to put it,  _come out of their coffins._

Shaw rolled her eyes at the memory of that broadcast and approached the bar.

Her unit was still active and while the government had kept a political front of attempting to be peaceful with the vampires. She was still putting down beasts and definitely still getting checks. 

She scanned the faces around her discretely as she slid onto an unoccupied stool. The vampires around her for the most part looked intrigued, not aggressive or angry.

Cole had been worried that her gruff demeanor and possibly her scent would tip them off to her being a hunter. She had just told him that he was paranoid. She loved being right.

"What can I get you?" A man asked from behind the bar.

Shaw glanced up toward him, quickly realizing that he was human. His neck had several healing puncture wounds as well as some hickies.

"Whiskey, no ice." Shaw mumbled out, bringing her eyes down to the wood grain of the bar. 

"First time, huh?" The man asked, smiling knowingly as he grabbed the bottle from the shelf behind him. "It’s not so bad, most of them are pretty gentle… Unless you like it rough."

Shaw quirked a brow and lifted her eyes back up to meet his. “How’s it work?” She asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, some people like to meet up on the dance floor… Sort of like a normal club, I guess. Those pairings just sort of happen. Others, start a conversation up by the bar. Some of it is purely by looks, others… More of the typical connection. Or, if you’re lucky…  _She_  notices you.”

"She?" Shaw asked, her brows furrowing slightly.

"The owner, she’s the oldest vampire on the East Coast… Or, that’s what they told me, anyway."

Shaw narrowed her eyes, intrigued. “What if you’re a woman who isn’t into women?”

He paused after sliding her glass over to her, looking thoughtful. “Well, most people that come in here are open to experimentation… I’ve never seen her force herself on anyone though, if that’s what you’re asking.”

"What about the others?" Shaw asked, side eyeing the vampire that had just slid onto a stool a few seats down. He winked at her, flashing his teeth.

The man behind the bar was already reaching for a bottle of synthetic blood for the newcomer, who was obviously a regular. “Root doesn’t allow for that sort of thing… You’ve seen the news broadcasts, right? This bar was opened to allow vampires to meet and feed off of willing humans. Gives them real blood to run off of when the synthetic isn’t enough.” As he finished he unscrewed the top from a bottle of the stuff before sliding it over to his vampiric patron.

Shaw stiffened when she suddenly felt another presence appear just on the other side of her. A rich and feminine smell accompanying it.

"Daniel, my ear is tingling… Are you talking about me again?" Said a smooth female voice.

Shaw glanced toward the source and was surprised to find a tall and lithe brunette leaning on the bar. 

The bartender, Daniel, smiled at the newcomer. “Speak of the devil.”

"Hey now," the woman said, her lips pulling wider to expose her fangs. "This is your boss you’re talking about."

It was obvious that Daniel had more to say but loud voices by the front door cut him off before he could get anything out. Shaw turned her head slightly, her eyes following the group of three male vampires. 

The woman, Root, pushed off of the bar and walked toward them. She had crossed her arms over her chest and her smile had quickly vanished.

"Peter… What a pleasure to see you." 

"We want some girls, bring them to the back." The man in the front said, snapping his fingers. His eyes trailed down the curvaceous form of a blonde woman as he passed her. 

Root smirked, her eyes darkening. “This is turning into quite the interesting evening… I thought I told you not to come back until you had money for me. For the repairs I had to make to my bar after your last visit.”

The man slowed to a stop just beside her, fixing her with a glare. “What do you think I am here for?” 

She held her ground and after a moment the man handed her over a large roll of bills with a growl. “I think that more than covers it… And my meal for the night.” 

Root’s eyes brightened and her expression and posture relaxed immediately. “Just please behave yourself this time, Peter… I’ll be occupied enough with the hunter sitting at my bar. I don’t need you causing trouble as well.”

A slight gasp cut through the club and Shaw stiffened as she felt all but Root’s eyes turn on her. She swore, realizing then that she was the only human seated at the bar who wasn’t paired off. 

Peter, who Shaw had quickly recognized as Peter Yogorov, turned toward her. His eyes sweeping the bar before settling on her. His upper lip curved back, exposing his fangs.

Shaw’s eyes moved for Root but the vampire was gone, already seated across the bar in a throne like chair overlooking the dance floor. 

She grit her teeth, her hand reaching for her modified USP. She kept a firm grip on her weapon as she was thrown back against the bar, the air rushing from her lungs from the impact.

Peter hung back, letting his lackeys do the physical work.

"Let me guess... You're here for me now?!" He cried, pacing a few feet away. "It wasn't enough that  _your people_ joined up with that rat Elias and took out my Father?" 

Shaw's eyes flicked toward him, before moving back to the lug who had her pinned, leaving her gun arm useless. 

"How much did he pay you?" Peter asked, stopping to turn and face her again. 

She smirked, making sure to lift her head high enough for him to see the expression. "He didn't have to pay me a damn thing." 

Shaw grunted, bringing her feet up between her and the vampire hovering over her. They landed heavily with a hollow sound but he barely seemed to register the blow.

His lips pulled back into a wide smirk and she could hear the vampires watching chuckle at what they believed to be a feeble attempt. The man brought his free arm back, far behind his head to deal what would most likely be a blow strong enough to crack her skull.

"Fuck you." Shaw mumbled, her smirk returning as she flexed her toes in her boot, triggering a switch. A four inch sliver of wood shot from the heel of her shoe and straight into his heart. His body immediately went rigid, his veins turning black beneath his pale skin.

Peter screamed angrily as his man fell to the floor and dissolved to ash.

Shaw barely had time to react, immediately shooting the second man in his chest. The ultraviolet bullet tore through him, sticking somewhere in his torso.

The vampire cried out, a thick gurgling cutting off the sound as he fell to his knees, incapacitated. Shaw was about to finish him off with a second round when she felt her air supply disappear.

Peter lifted her off of the floor by her neck, throwing her into the center of the crowded dance floor. Most of the onlookers were quick enough to get out of the way, even the humans. Shaw grunted out as her head and shoulder hit the hard unforgiving floor before rolling another foot and coming to a stop. 

She glanced up through her bangs, back toward the bar but Peter was gone. She gasped a second later as his foot pressed down against the back of her rib cage, forcing her into the floor.

"You stupid bitch... Did you really think you'd make it out of here alive?" He put more of his weight on her, her ribs and chest pressing painfully into the floor. It was hard to breathe, purposely so. The question was rhetorical. Shaw grit her teeth and glanced around at the many faces watching them. There was no one there who would step forward to come to her aid. The vampires wouldn't go against someone like Peter, who's family had money and power. Especially not for her, a hunter. The humans didn't stand a chance, just like she didn't.

Peter's foot left her back and he heaved her up roughly by her long ponytail. Throwing her again, this time into the wood of the stage that Root was seated upon. 

Shaw hit hard, crying out softly as she crumpled to the ground. She was fairly certain she had a cracked or broken rib, which was doing nothing for her attempts to catch her breath. She couldn't see Root but she had no doubt that the vampire was watching the entire scene with nothing but amusement.

Cole had been right, although, she doubted that he would gain any satisfaction from that.

She lifted her head, gritting her teeth as she watched Peter approach. He was walking slowly, making sure that she saw her own weapon in his hand. 

"Get up." He growled, kicking at her once he was close enough. 

Shaw remained still, glaring up at him with blank eyes. 

"I said,  _get up_." He repeated, pushing her into a sitting position with his foot. She remained there, back pressed to the stage and glared up at him.

He glanced passed her, presumably toward Root. 

"Are you going to cause a fuss if I kill this bitch?" He asked, his lip curling up sightly as he glanced back down toward her. "I didn't leave a trail of damage in my wake this time... And I'll have my men clean it up." 

Root watched him silently, her expression completely neutral. He waited a moment, taking her silence as a pass to go ahead with whatever it was he intended to do.

Peter lifted the weapon, staring down the sight toward the human glaring up at him. His finger had barely brushed the trigger when he was thrown backwards and a huge gasp erupted from the onlookers.

Shaw didn't notice though, she was too busy with the bullet hole in her stomach. She gasped, clamping her eyes shut as she tried to stop the blood from seeping from the wound. If she bled too much, with this many vampires around her, she would be ripped apart. Not that it mattered much now, given her injury.

Meanwhile, across the club, Root was staring coolly down at Peter. 

"What the fuck do you think you're doing?!" He cried, jumping back to his feet. 

Root didn't respond, merely smiled as she separated his head from his body. She glanced around then at the shocked faces watching her.

"What? He had it coming." She said, brushing off her hands as she watched his crumpled form fade into ash.

Her eyes shot toward where several vampires were advancing on a barely conscious Shaw, "Would anyone else like to try and kill a human in my establishment?" 

The question was asked with a hint of warning. Although it quickly became obvious through their obedience that she had gotten her point across already. 

"Jason, take her to the basement. I'll be down shortly." Root said, nodding toward one of her men. "Daizo... Keep the order up here while we get this mess cleaned up." 

The second man nodded, looking toward Daniel who had already moved to grab some cleaning supplies. 

Shaw watched through half glazed eyes as a man with a beard approached her, she stiffened but remained still as he scooped her into his arms. She wanted to fight back, to do  _something_  but her energy was leaving her as quickly as her blood.

Her eyes fluttered open as they made their way down a flight of steps, it was cooler now and quieter. She struggled to keep them open but her eyes drifted back closed as she lost consciousness. 

_To be continued..._


	2. Chapter 2

_"Hold her still..."_

Shaw's brow furrowed as she felt something cool sliding down the back of her throat. The taste wasn't completely unpleasant but the thick quality of the liquid was a little off putting. 

Her eyes fluttered open and she immediately started to struggle as realization dawned on her. 

Root frowned and arched a brow, unimpressed by the hunter's weak struggling.

"If you'd prefer to die, we can leave you to it." She said, pulling her wrist away from Shaw's mouth.

Shaw stared between the two vampires, her mouth and chin smeared with blood. She knew that the blood of a vampire had healing and in this case, life saving qualities. She could feel them working already but it didn't make sense for them to want to save her.

"Why?" She asked, her eyes once again settling on Root.

"I rather enjoyed watching you work." The vampire replied smoothly, a flirtatious smile creeping across her red lips. "It would be a shame to see such a skilled operative die at the hands of that idiot."

Shaw narrowed her eyes, not looking convinced.

"Fine." Root said, rolling her eyes slightly. "You did me a favor, gave me a reason to take Peter out... I could care less about human or vampire lives, most of them anyway... But unfortunately there are laws we must live by." She said, smiling more wickedly this time and flashing her teeth.

"You get something out of this, don't you?" Shaw asked, trying to ignore the pain radiating from her torso. 

Root shook her head in exasperation, "If I answer honestly will you shut up and drink so that you stop bleeding all over my floor?" 

Shaw's eyes narrowed into a glare but she nodded after a moment of consideration. Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"If you own a business in this day and age, it is always good to make investments... Mine was not in the Yogorov family."

"You're aligned with Elias?" It wasn't really a question, it was common knowledge that Elias and the Russians had been warring it out in the shadows of New York for some time now.

"Keep your friends close and your enemies closer..." Root hummed before once again sinking her fangs into her wrist, reopening the wound. "Now drink."

Shaw wrinkled her nose slightly but did not protest as the other woman pressed her bleeding skin to her mouth. 

"I know this isn't your normal means of transfusion... You're lucky to be a Universal Recipient in your line of work." 

Shaw stared at Root a second longer before glancing toward her companion at the mention of her blood, he had been eerily quiet this entire time. Now that she was more awake and alert, the reason became obvious.

She was covered in blood and he was clearly trying to control himself. His jaw was set tight, his eyes watching intently as her blood dripped to the floor.

Root smiled slightly as she realized what the other woman was looking at.  "Jason, why don't you go help Daizo upstairs?" 

Shaw watched as he obeyed, until he had disappeared from view as he ascended the stairs. She looked back toward Root as the woman gently pried her arm away from Shaw's mouth.

"I would suggest you cleaning up and then resting. You ingested a quite a bit of my blood." 

Shaw swallowed, wiping at her mouth with the back of her hand. She lifted her shirt, studying the bloody but flawlessly healed skin. She had heard rumors of the healing qualities but this was the first time experiencing it and seeing it in person. 

Root watched her quietly, only speaking up once she was done her inspection. "If you do want to clean up...  I've got a fantastic master bathroom just down the hall." 

Shaw shot her a look, "Yeah... I'll pass." 

She was quickly on her feet and immediately headed for the stairs. She could hear Root behind her, close on her heels.

"Are you sure? We don't close until just before dawn... And I wouldn't want you to leave an  _unsatisfied_  customer..."

Shaw grit her teeth and quickened her pace, not sure that she liked the innuendo in the other woman's tone.

The main floor of the club was back into the full swing of business, any signs of Shaw's blood and the bodies of the Russians long gone.

As soon as the door had swung open, Shaw and her blood soaked clothes caught the attention of all of the nearby vampires. She glared at them but Root's presence seemed to be keeping them at bay. She had almost reached the exit when the man who had carried her downstairs approached.

"Here's your weapon." He said, his jaw immediately setting tight again once he was done speaking.

Shaw arched a brow, glancing between him and the gun before taking it from him. "Thanks..."

She checked the safety before tucking it into her pants and turned to leave.

"Wait." 

Shaw glanced over her shoulder toward Root, not sure what to expect from the vampire.

"You look like you just murdered someone." Root said, shrugging off her leather jacket.

Shaw arched a brow and narrowed her eyes, as if to say  _'you're one to talk.'_

The vampire smiled and held out her jacket, "At least cover up some of that."

Shaw snatched the jacket from her and slid it on, ignoring the fact that it was slightly too big. "You aren't going to come looking to retrieve this or anything like that, are you?"

"Oh no... Of course not." Root said, her smile fading to one much more innocent. "It's to give you an excuse to come back." 

Shaw watched blankly as the vampire turned around then, to disappear into the crowd without another word.

xxx

Shaw's ride home had taken little to no time at all, utilizing any short cut she had memorized over the past few weeks to bypass whatever traffic she encountered. She had grabbed her phone and immediately headed inside to get a shower, not turning the device on until she was clean.

She rolled her eyes when she noticed the many calls and texts from a worried Cole. She didn't normally keep a phone on her but he had given it to her after hearing her plan, begging her to use it. She was too tired to call him but figured she should send him a text so that he wouldn't spend the entire night harassing her and not sleeping.

_'I'm home and intact. You'll get more info after we've both slept.'_

It took a moment and she finished her nightly rituals and was ready to slip into bed by the time he responded. 

_'That's all you have to say? I thought you'd been eaten or ripped to pieces!'_

Shaw shook her head,  _'I'm fine. Go to bed.'_

She hit send, muting her phone and setting an alarm before slipping into bed.

xxx

Shaw hadn't been able to sleep, she had tossed and turned for an hour before finally giving up.

She made her way toward her kitchen for a glass of water but because of the open layout of her apartment, her attention had quickly been diverted. Her eyes stilling on the dark outline of Root's jacket.

It hadn't taken her long to head back out, into the cool night air. She wasn't exactly sure why but she once again found herself in front of Root's club. Only one of the doors was open now and even from as far away as she was, Shaw could see that it wasn't as packed as it had been earlier.

She made her way inside, her hands at her sides, ready to move for her gun if necessary. 

Shaw scanned the club, her eyes searching for Root but she saw no sign of the vampire.

"Back so soon?"

Shaw glanced toward the voice, keeping her face neutral as she turned toward Daniel and the bar. "Where's your boss?"

His smile quickly fell and his eyes moved toward the door she had exited earlier, the one that led to the basement. Shaw ignored the way Daniel called after her, heading directly for where she now knew the vampire would be.

The lights in the living room space just to the right of the steps were dimmed and Shaw could hear soft gasps and moans. She rolled her eyes, shrugging off the jacket as she reached the bottom. 

"Sorry to interrupt..." She grumbled, leaning against the wall that ran along the stairs, sounding anything but.

The red head seated on the couch gasped, pulling her top closed as Root slowly moved away from her neck. The vampire licked her lips, smiling curiously when her eyes fell on Shaw.

"Could you excuse us, darling?" She asked, giving the woman she had just been feeding off of her most charming smile.

"W-would you like me to come back down?" The woman asked, sounding a bit disappointed.

"No, thank you. That won't be necessary." Root said, straightening up before rising smoothly from where she had been kneeling on the couch. 

"But we just started, you haven't even had your fill..." 

"I assure you, I will survive." Root said, stroking the woman's cheek before gently turning her around. "Have a good evening."

The woman shot Shaw a glare as she stalked passed, the sound of her feet a little heavier on the steps then they probably should have been.

Shaw held out the jacket for Root, who smirked widely at the offering. "Let's be honest... We both know you didn't come back here just to return that..." 

As the vampire spoke, she stepped closer. Her eyes had been brown earlier but were now tinged a deep crimson on the edges, a side affect from feeding. Shaw could see her fangs peeking out, just passed her parted lips.

The shorter woman groaned as she was pressed into the wall, Root's tongue sliding slowly over the flesh covering her carotid artery. Strong hands held her arms in place and the other brunette nipped along her jaw line before looking Shaw in the eye.

"I'm still quite hungry..." Root growled, her eyes darting down toward Shaw's lips. "And you smell delicious."

The vampire kissed her briefly, and Shaw felt her stomach twist as she ran her tongue along the taller woman's bottom lip. She could feel the sharp edges of Root's fangs and the reminder of them, of what Root _was_ had her more excited than she had been in a while.

She felt Root's grip tighten on her arms, her lips skate across her jaw. Shaw's eyes fell shut as she felt the taller woman's cool breath on her neck before the sting of her four fangs replaced it in sharp contrast.

Shaw's eyes shot open, a light sheen of sweat covering her body as she laid rigidly in bed. She glanced around her room, running a hand through her hair as she sat up. Her hand moved onto her neck then, fingertips tracing the spot where just seconds ago she had felt sharp fangs sink into her flesh. 

She frowned deeply, confused by the dream and the immense arousal it had brought her. She could hear her heart, still thumping from excitement. The cars passing on the street below also seemed louder, the buildings beyond her window seemed sharper, even in the darkness. 

So the myths about vampire blood were true, all of them, it seemed. Shaw grit her teeth, slamming her hand down into her mattress as the realization dawned on her. Root may have saved her life but she had also created a bond with the hunter that would last for the rest of both of their lives. Whether they wanted it to, or not.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cole and Shaw run a mission together and things don't go as planned. 
> 
> More Root coming in the next chapter, as well as a few more familiar faces....
> 
> I struggled quite a bit with this chapter, for several reasons... The main two being the fact that I've never written two of the characters in the chapter. One of them is a bit OOC but for good reason and we'll see them act more themselves later on.
> 
> Hope you like it! :)

"So, are you going to tell me what happened last night?" Cole asked, glancing over toward his partner as he set down his equipment.

Shaw grunted and despite the dark glasses covering her eyes he could tell that she was rolling them. She set down his second pack before crouching down herself.

"You were right." She muttered finally, watching him as he started to unload his things.

Cole paused, raising his eyes to try to find hers. "They knew you were a hunter?" He asked, his eyes sweeping over her exposed skin, looking for any sign of injury.

"I'm  _fine._ " She reminded him, exasperated. "The bitch that owns the place called me out in front of  _everyone_ … There was a fight, I came out on top… End of story."

"Of course you did…" Cole muttered, pulling his equipment out with a little more force than necessary.

Silence hung between them for a few moments before Shaw spoke up again. "Research needs to check their facts on those myths…"

"What?" Cole asked, glancing up toward her again.

"About the effects of vampire blood."

Cole narrowed his eyes, "Did you do V?"

'V' was the street name for vampire blood, taken by humans as a sort of recreational drug.

Shaw moved her sunglasses down her nose slightly to make sure that her partner could see her glare. "No. I definitely did _not_."

"Sorry, you're not exactly being forthcoming with details, Shaw." He snapped back in irritation.

She watched him set up his camera before feeding the long tube into one of the vents that led down into the building from the roof.

"I got shot with my own gun, would have died if…"

"If?" Cole asked, not looking up this time.

"If that same bitch hadn't given me her blood." Shaw admitted quietly, her voice still a little tense.

Cole remained quiet, his eyes trained intently on what he was doing.

Several minutes passed before he finally spoke up, "We've got something."

Shaw moved closer, glancing over his shoulder toward the screen.

"Four vampires… And we've got some victims, deceased…" Shaw's jaw flexed and she rose quickly to return to her previous spot by their other bag.

They had been sent into the city to hunt down several groups of violent, nesting vampires.

A nesting group was generally composed of three to ten vampires, a maker and their progenies.

Living in such close quarters to one another, the lone hunters tend to become more violent and competitive. They often share blood and have intimate and sexual relationships with one another, making them intensely loyal.

"I'll call Wilson, you prep the gas." Shaw said, pulling her cell phone from her pocket.

"Hold on." Cole said, squinting as he tried to zoom and focus on a corner of the room that he had been clearing. "There's someone in there, Shaw."

The hunter froze and raised her eyes to meet his, "And you're sure they're alive?"

Cole was quiet for a moment as he switched to infrared, "Yeah, we've got a heat signature."

"Shit." Shaw muttered, this news changed their plans drastically.

They would have to move immediately instead of setting traps before sundown and getting some intel from the vampires before making their move.

"Call Wilson, fill him in. I'll get everything else ready." Cole said, all signs of his irritation from before gone.

Shaw nodded before turning to head to the far end of the roof to make the call.

xxx

Shaw stood by the entrance to the warehouse, waiting for Cole's signal to head inside.

Wilson had given them the go ahead without hesitation with the news of a survivor.

_"Alright, the gas is distributed, Shaw."_

Shaw moved silently, having already been inside and behind the sealed doors to ensure that the gas stayed where she needed it.

It was something research had developed, while non toxic to humans, it made the air thick and greatly lessened visibility. Shaw's mask only covered the lower half of her face, leaving her eyes uncovered. The gas was almost more of a mist, it clung to the body of the vampire as it fell so that even if they weren't using their lungs it could seep in through their pores.

It was one of the best ways the hunters had found to use garlic. Younger vampires became extremely sluggish and disoriented when the gas was used but as was the case with most of their other toys and gadgets, older vampires were more immune.

Shaw paused just outside of the main room where the vampires were sleeping. They all still appeared to be in a catatonic state.

_"I've got eyes on them, Shaw. Go ahead."_

She moved quickly but silently, approaching the small side room where Cole had seen the heat signature.

Shaw crouched down beside a thread bare blanket balled up on the cement floor. The small form huddled beneath it shook as she gently pulled the barrier away.

"It's okay, kid." Shaw whispered, despite the heavy sleep the vampires were in. She frowned as she took in the dirty and tied up state that the child was in.

She slowly brought her knife from where it had been strapped to her thigh, making sure that the kid could see that her intention was only to cut the thick rope that the vampires had used to tie her to the floor.

The little girl peeked up through thick blonde curls, her eyes wide. She immediately rubbed at her raw wrists as the rope fell away.

"Stay here. No matter what you hear, you stay put." Shaw said seriously, trying to keep her discomfort of dealing with a child from seeping into her tone. The last thing she needed was the kid freaking out while she was neutralizing the vampires and getting herself or Shaw injured. "Only move if I tell you to, understand?"

The child nodded but remained quiet, watching as Shaw disappeared back into the main room.

Upon reentering the larger space, Shaw's eyes immediately zeroed in on the two vampires sleeping nearby. There were human bodies strewn around them, deep gauge and tears in their flesh from where the vampires had fed. Younger vampires tended to rip at their meals in their excitement to feed. This often lead to a significantly more painful death for the victim as well as an unsatisfied vampire. Older vampires used the restraint necessary to get their fill off of one victim, sometimes without killing them, if they purposely elected to spare them.

Shaw's upper lip curled slightly in disgust as she stood over the pair, eyeing the blood that had dried around their mouths. She pulled out her gun, silencer already in place. The two shots were fired off quickly, both hitting their mark and killing the vampires instantly.

Shooting their ashy remains one last glare, Shaw stepped over them and the human remains to head further into the room. About twenty steps away she found the third vampire, laying alone with what she guessed had been his meal. Her jaw flexed as she tore her eyes away from the victim and let a third bullet fly, it tore through his heart just as accurately as the last two.

 _"Shaw-"_  Cole's voice cut in suddenly over her earpiece,  _"We've got a problem."_

"What?" She asked, her voice low. There was still one vampire left for her to kill.

_"I've lost my visual on the fourth... She was there a second ago, laying on those blankets and pillows against the far wall. Be careful."_

Shaw's eyes narrowed and she looked around her, ears and eyes alert for any sign of the creature. Her senses were still in overdrive from the vampire blood she had ingested the night before. Even with the extra assistance of the gas and her heightened senses, Shaw was knocked forcefully to the ground from a blow from behind.

She grunted, rolling over onto her side as she crashed into the ground. Her shoulder immediately began to ache but she had no time to deal with the pain.

A hiss like chuckle escaped the vampire who was now standing several feet away, pacing slightly. Her eyes were a deep crimson and she was eyeing the hunter on the ground hungrily.

"Let me guess? You came for the brat?" She asked, rushing Shaw suddenly since the hunter's weapon was just out of reach.

Shaw crossed her arms and lifted them in front of her protectively, leaving the vampire's hand to catch them instead of her throat. The weight of the woman, who was slightly taller than herself, kept her pinned to the ground regardless. "Tell you what, hunter. How about I glamour you and make you watch me rip her little throat out?"

The hunter grinned, "Try me, bitch."

She and many of the other hunters had recently been issued special contacts to wear that kept them from being glamoured while out in the field. The vampire hissed, narrowing her eyes when she was unable to use one of her powers against the human.

Shaw's knee slammed heavily into her torso then, a blow that would have left any mortal without the ability to breathe. Unfortunately, her attacker didn't need to breathe and the garlic gas didn't appear to be having the impact she had hoped for.

A low chuckle escaped the vampire and she leaned in, a curious look over taking her otherwise feral features.

"Your scent..." Shaw's lip curled up in disgust again and she wiggled to try to get a better position for herself. "You've been given the blood but not the mark."

"I don't belong to anyone." She spat but her anger only made the other woman more amused.

A slow smile pulled wider across the vampire's lips and she flashed her fangs, "Oh you poor, pathetic thing... It isn't up to you. We pick what is ours and we  _take_."

Her voice had been sweet but it turned harsh suddenly and she lurched forward, teeth clacking as she tried to get at Shaw's throat. The hunter could feel her muscles burning from the strain of holding the creature back, the only things standing in the way of her untimely end was adrenaline and the vampire blood rushing through her veins.

xxx

Root's eyes snapped open, a chill rolling through her.

It didn't take her long to deduce that the sun was still up and the reason she had awoken was her blood tie to her new friend, the hunter.

She smirked, her instincts and the intensity of the fresh connection giving her some incite to what Shaw was feeling. The vampire the hunter was struggling with was a couple hundred years old, formidable on most occasions but Root's blood was ancient. She had no doubt that her new 'friend' would make it out alive.

xxx

Shaw cried out as teeth raked against her forearms, blood dripping down to slide across her face. Her arms trembled and she knew that they wouldn't hold out much longer.

Cole was speaking hurriedly, voice worried, in her ear but the words were lost. Her mind focusing more on how the hell she was going to get herself out of this situation. Then suddenly, she felt a surge of energy and her arms stopped shaking.

Shaw grit her teeth, sliding the leg she had been working free up between her body and the one hovering over her. She kicked out hard, knocking the vampire back and moving for her gun. She fired off two shots and smirked grimly as they hit their target, bringing the vampire to her knees.

The creature hit the ground hard, crying out as the ultra violet bullets smoldered in her chest.

Shaw got up, ignoring the stiffness and pain in her shoulder as she did. She moved over toward the scowling creature, holstering her weapon to instead pull a long and sturdy stake from a second sheath on her thigh.

The vampire smirked up at her then, her lips pulling back as she chuckled darkly. Her veins had gone black and the thick sludge that leaked over her lips and stained her teeth told Shaw that she wouldn't be anymore trouble. She may have been old but the ultra violet bullets didn't discriminate based on age.

Even without being outside she knew that dusk would be setting in soon and Shaw knew that it was a good thing she had neutralized the other woman before that happened. She pressed the tip of the stake against the vampire's chest.

"It's like poison, isn't it?" The vampire asked, her head tilting to the side slightly as her red eyes honed in on the hunter's. "The blood."

Shaw's eyes narrowed slightly but she remained silent, her grip firm on the stake.

"It gives you strength in the beginning but that will fade... Then all you're left with is  _hunger,_ that need will drive you back to her or it will consume you."

A smirk pulled across Shaw's lips then and she brought the stake back, "You don't know a damn thing about me."

She plunged the stake in with a grunt, ignoring the hiss that escaped the vampire as she collapsed in on herself. Falling to a puddle of ash and dark sludge. Shaw wrinkled her nose, scuffing the tip of her boot against the floor where some had landed.

 _"Are you going to answer me now?"_  Cole asked, exasperated.

"Sorry, I was a bit preoccupied." She bit back, rolling her eyes as she wiped the stake clean on her pants before sheathing it again. "I'm taking the kid to the van, you got the equipment?" She asked, heading back to where the child was.

 _"Yeah, I think I can manage."_  Cole muttered, although she could hear a hint of relief in his tone as well.

"Hey kid, time to go." Shaw said softly, her voice still a little gruff as she knelt down in front of the child. The tired eyes blinking up at her were struggling to stay open and she sighed, once again ignoring the protests of her shoulder as she scooped the child and her backpack up.

She moved quickly to the front of the building, kicking open the door as quietly as possible before heading for their vehicle across the street. She tucked the kid into the back seat, covering her with a jacket that had been left there. Shaw moved up front then, starting the engine as she waited for Cole to join them.

He pulled open the passenger door a few minutes later, loading the bags down by his feet as he pulled his door closed. "She say anything?"

"No." Shaw answered, "She didn't need to. Got an address right here."

Cole glanced over, eyes moving to the small patch haphazardly stitched into the inside of the kid's backpack. "Genrika Zhirova,... Tough kid."

Shaw watched as he glanced back toward where the child was sleeping and nodded silently as she put the van into drive, "Yeah, she is."

xxx

"You know... I was hoping I was remembering incorrectly when you first showed me that address..." Cole mumbled, not liking the neighborhood the child came from.

Shaw brought the van to a stop, parked right against the curb. "Yeah... Me too."

She could feel her partner's eyes on her and she shot him a glare, "We can't do anything to change that, Cole. We brought her home and even that isn't really part of our job."

They didn't normally do rescues, more recoveries and even that was handled by other operatives. Their job was to hunt down and neutralize hostile creatures and keep the public safe. Despite her snapping at Cole, Shaw agreed with him and didn't like the feeling settling in the pit of her stomach.

"You get the bag... I've got the kid." Shaw said, hopping out of the drivers seat and shutting her door before he could protest. She moved to the back door and pulled it open before placing a gentle hand on the kid's shoulder. "Hey, Genrika-"

"It's Gen..." A small voice, thick with sleep mumbled back.

"Gen," Shaw corrected, trying to keep annoyance from seeping into her tone. "You're home, wanna show us which apartment you are?"

The kid sighed and sat up, the jacket falling away to land on the floor as she hung her legs over the side of the seat. She remained silent, hopping down from the van to join Shaw on the sidewalk.

Shaw shut the door behind her and shot Cole a small look, he shrugged and the two of them followed her inside.

They made their way up two flights of steps after finding the elevator out of service. Cole rapped his knuckles against the door that Gen indicated to and stood waiting as someone stumbled around inside.

"Who is it?" A man with a thick accent asked, one eye peeking through the crack between the door and its frame.

"Police," Cole lied smoothly, flashing a fake badge. "We found a young girl named Genrika Zhirova and were bringing her home."

The man shut the door momentarily but they didn't miss the look of surprise that had crossed briefly over his features. "Stupid kid... Always sneaking out... Get inside." He mumbled, holding the door open for her now that it was unlocked.

Shaw glanced down toward Gen, who was scowling at the man. She ignored him and headed inside, straight for a door across the cluttered living room that she quickly disappeared behind.

"Sorry about the inconvenience... She never does as she's told." He said, moving to shut the door.

Shaw put out her hand, stopping him. "I'm going to check back in a few days and I'd like to see this place a little cleaner... Make sure you keep a better eye on her, too." She warned, voice low.

He glared at her through bleary eyes, "Yes, whatever."

Cole sighed and turned away as the door was slammed shut, "You really going to do that?"

"Yes." Shaw said, stuffing her hands in her pockets. "Maybe if he hadn't been high and playing video games the kid wouldn't have snuck out onto the street..."

He side eyed his partner as they made their way back down the steps toward the ground floor, knowing that there was more to her protective gesture than just that. He didn't push the subject though, if she was going to open up about it at all, it would be on her terms.

As soon as they stepped back out into the cool night air Shaw turned and threw the keys to him, "Night."

"Where are you going?" He asked, slowing to a stop.

"Home." She answered simply, "Feeling like a walk."

"It's across town." He accused, not buying her answer one bit. "Let me drive you, Shaw."

She turned around, walking backward as she shot him a glare. "Hell no."

He rolled his eyes and jogged over to the van, jumping inside and starting the engine quickly. A few minutes later he was creeping along beside her and put down his window. "You're going back there tonight, aren't you?"

She kept her eyes trained forward but he could tell by the small crease that formed on her brow that she had heard him. "So what if I am?"

"I'm going with you." He said firmly, "And if I'm not going with you, I'll show up on my own."

She slowed to a stop, forcing him to do the same. "What the hell are you going to do if they turn hostile? Bore them with your techie talk?" She asked, some amusement mixed in with her exasperation.

"Nah, I save that solely for you." He said, grinning cheekily. "C'mon Shaw, hop in."

She shook her head and broke eye contact, wanting to stick to her guns and go alone... But knowing that he would wind up going himself eventually if he didn't get it out of his system. She would rather be there when he did.


	4. Chapter 4

Shaw slid back into the van, freshly showered and carrying Root's jacket.

Cole had only been waiting a few minutes, having made a quick run to his hotel room after dropping Shaw off a few blocks from her building. As soon as he had arrived back at the same location he had dropped her off, he had switched to the passenger seat.

"I'm not going to show up randomly at your place for a beer or anything, you know." He mumbled, watching as she put the vehicle into gear.

"What?"

"Nevermind." He said, turning his gaze toward the buildings passing outside his window. He knew that it was a losing battle. For as much as they traveled for their work, New York City was the only place Shaw had kept a permanent residence. She had never told him exactly where it was and she probably never would.

Control, their enigmatic boss, mostly sent them to bigger cities. For a smaller team, they worked quietly and efficiently. Exactly what was needed in a world where the creatures they hunted were beginning to step forward, claiming to be intelligent and 'peaceful.'

He had been surprised though, when Shaw kept her more permanent residence, even though most of their missions in the last two years had kept them away.

The two remained quiet, Shaw driving toward the outskirts of the city.

She would never admit it out loud but her pulse picked up as they drew closer to the bar. Shaw tried to tell herself that it was just Root's blood still working its way through her system.

"So, what's this place like?" Cole asked, curious.

"Dark, gloomy... Full of vampires and fang bangers."

"Sounds charming..." He mumbled as Shaw pulled off of the paved road and onto a smaller unpaved one. The two fell back into silence as they were jostled around in their seats.

The van rounded a turn a few minutes later and Fangtasia and its parking lot came into view.

"Keep up, stay behind me and talk to  _no_  one." Shaw said as she parked their vehicle.

Cole nodded and fought the urge to roll his eyes. "Yes ma'am..."

xxx

Shaw strutted through the entrance of Fangtasia, making no attempt to hide her true nature this time around. Cole was right behind her, doing his best to keep up while still looking around.

The bar was pretty packed already, despite it being only an hour or so after sundown.

Shaw's eyes swept over the dance floor, lingering on Root's empty 'throne' before looking toward the bar. Her eyes immediately sought out Daniel, who looked surprised and a little nervous to see her.

The bartender glanced toward the basement and Shaw smirked, stalking passed him and ignoring his protests.

xxx

Root lounged lazily on her loveseat, her eyes trained coolly on her guest.

Word of Peter Yogorov's death had spread quickly and Elias was already extending his thanks. His right hand man, commonly known as 'Scarface' had shown up shortly after sundown.

"The boss would like to meet with you in person to discuss a more...  _Fitting_  reward for your good work."

Root's eyes flicked toward the five women that were standing nearby, that had come with Scarface and a few more of Elias' men.

They were all gorgeous, a wide variety of hair and skin tones for her to choose from. Her eyes lingered on them for a moment, sweeping down from woman to woman until she settled on the one second to the end on the right. The woman's skin was tan and smooth, her thick hair dark, almost black.

"Come here." Root said with a smirk, curling her finger in a come hither motion.

The woman smiled shyly and approached where the vampire was seated and waiting.

Root took her hand gently in her own, holding eye contact as she pressed her lips to the inside of the other woman's wrist.

The vampire smiled against the warm skin, her lips lingering to appreciate the fact that her close proximity had the pulse point below them beating harder.

Root tugged the other woman closer, until she fell gracefully into her lap. Her lips skimmed over the human's neck, blunt front teeth teasing the sensitive flesh.

Jason watched them silently, his eyes flicking toward the other women still standing nearby. As if she could sense his mood, Root peeked an eye open toward him.

"Why don't you boys entertain yourselves too? I can't be the only one to have fun and a feed... That would just be rude."

Scarface nodded toward the remaining women, all but one moving for Jason.

Root smirked, peeking around the neck of her own meal as she watched the other humans surround her right hand man.

xxx

Shaw stalked down the last few steps, ignoring the soft sounds coming from the living room space. As soon as she had walked through the front door she had been hit with the overwhelming feeling of deja vu. She figured she might as well play along, even though she believed you made your own fate and shrugged off the leather jacket she had worn inside the building.

She could sense Cole hesitate behind her but one glare over her shoulder had him moving again.

"Sorry to interrupt." Shaw grumbled, sounding anything but.

The human seated on the loveseat sat up a little straighter in her surprise, her hands instinctively curling tighter around the edge of the cushion.

Shaw locked eyes with the other woman, a little unsettled by how similar they were in appearance at a quick glance. She swallowed thickly as her gaze trailed downward, to where Root was kneeling between the other woman's legs.

Root glanced up through her hair, her tongue running along her lips as she sat back.

The woman she had been feeding from could sense the sudden growing tension, one that was far different than the atmosphere that had been clinging to the space before. She tugged down her skirt quickly but Shaw could plainly see the bite mark on her inner thigh.

Root pressed the pad of her thumb against one of her fangs. The small beads of blood that appeared were then pressed to the puncture wounds, healing them instantly.

"Hello again, hunter. Back so soon?"

Scarface narrowed his eyes but said nothing as the two women stared each other down.

"We need to talk," Shaw said curtly, her eyes sweeping over the other faces in the room. "Privately."

Root glanced toward Scarface, "Seeing as my other guest was here first... I'm going to ask that you wait upstairs. Have a drink, on me."

Shaw grit her teeth and was about to respond when Scarface spoke up, "Go ahead, I'm in no rush."

Root shot the man an amused look before rising to her feet smoothly. She then glanced toward the woman still seated on the loveseat, "Wait here... I'm not done with you." She said, gripping the other woman's chin gently before bending slightly to kiss her.

Shaw watched the two of them, seething in silence as Root clearly took her time. Something that felt suspiciously like jealousy twisting in her gut, she didn't  _do_  jealousy. The blood in her system was magnetic, pulling her toward its source. Drawing her in like a moth to a flame and keeping her attention.

Root's hips swung suggestively as she made her way over to the hunter but as she drew closer, her crimson eyes fell on Cole. She wrinkled her nose slightly, "Your little  _puppy_  isn't going to follow us, is he?"

Shaw rolled her eyes, "No. You'll be fine here, Cole. Won't he." It wasn't a question.

Root's smirk returned, "I guess we'll find out."

Cole glanced between the two before watching helplessly as they disappeared into a nearby hallway, leaving him alone with Jason and Elias' men.

xxx

Shaw silently followed Root down the hallway toward the door at the far end. The vampire pushed open the barrier, walking through before extending her arm further into the room as if to seem inviting.

"Light  _and_  sound proof." She said as Shaw passed her, smirking cheekily.

Shaw glanced around the room, ignoring the comment as her eyes swept over the large canopy bed and other dark decor.

The hunter stiffened when she felt the air shift around her suddenly and knew, even without looking, that Root had closed the distance between them.

"I wasn't expecting you so soon... Is your blood pumping because you're happy to see me, or is that still from the close call earlier?" The vampire whispered against the shell of her ear.

Shaw set her jaw, turning toward the voice. The vampire was already gone, her laugh trailing behind her.

The hunter tossed Root's leather jacket unceremoniously to the floor and grit her teeth as she turned again, this time catching the vampire as she leaned against a nearby wall.

"You can put  _that_  away..." Root said, amused by the blade that had appeared in Shaw's hand. "Unless of course you're coming on to me... I do enjoy knives."

"Even silver coated blades?" Shaw countered, holding the vampire's gaze.

Root's smirk widened and she closed the distance between them again, allowing the tip of the blade to press into her skin.

The vampire's fangs popped and she gasped softly as the silver burned her skin on contact. Shaw's eyes narrowed and she withdrew her knife, watching with a scowl as Root's skin healed seamlessly.

"Age does come with its perks..." She said, "It means I can sense more from our blood tie, too. If you had that much trouble with that bitch earlier... Then you really wouldn't have a chance against me."

The line in Shaw's brow deepened, "I get in tight places a lot, it's part of the job.  _You_  still have weaknesses, regardless of your age... And as soon as you give me good reason, I'll make sure you're ash just like her."

The two stared at each other in silence for a moment, Shaw angry and Root amused. "Maybe I should do it now and sever that damn connection..."

Root's smile widened at the way Shaw's lip curled upward with disdain as she spoke. "Maybe if you ask nicely I'll sever it for you."

"What?" Shaw asked, her glare relaxing slightly. "I thought it lasted for the duration of the human  _and_ vampires lives?"

Root rolled her eyes with a chuckle, "Sometimes I forget how  _dramatic_  humans can be. The only permanent connection a vampire makes is between a maker and their progeny... And even  _that_  can be broken."

"So you can break the blood tie, do it. Now." Shaw said, her tone more demanding.

"Mmm... I don't think so. The side effects of my blood make this  _so_  much fun and you're far too intriguing."

Shaw grit her teeth, tilting her chin upward slightly. "I'm glad that this is so  _fun_  for you. Enjoy it while you can because my body is only responding this way because of your blood."

"Is that meant to hurt my feelings?" Root asked, feigning injury. "You're not that special, darling. Those effects are less about sex and more about  _control._ About luring our food back, again and again."

"Yeah, well, that's never gonna happen." Shaw bit out, her tone sharp. She turned and stalked for the door, ignoring the weight of Root's gaze and the smirk that came with it.

"Come on, Cole. We're leaving-" Shaw slowed to a stop, her features scrunching up slightly as her eyes fell on her partner.

Cole was seated on the couch, looking both excited and terrified.

The hunter's eyes zeroed in on where Jason's mouth was pressed to Cole's neck. There was a woman kissing him from his lap, a woman behind him playing with his short hair and a third seated beside him, opposite Jason.

"Cole,  _now_." Shaw repeated, annoyed.

He practically jumped out of his seated position, mumbling out a quick apology as he rushed after her. The two made their way quickly up the steps and through the main floor of the club. It was only when they were outside, practically next to their vehicle, when Shaw rounded on her partner.

"What the hell was  _that_?" She asked, leaning closer to try to get a glimpse of his neck. "Did he bite you?"

"No." Cole said firmly, a slight blush on his cheeks. "I- I'm not really sure, okay? You guys were gone a while and-"

"And what? They forced you down onto the couch?" Shaw asked incredulously, when he didn't answer she rolled her eyes and stalked around to the drivers side of the van. "Just get in."

xxx

Shaw sighed as she exited her bathroom, hating the pent up energy still thrumming through her body.

Her apartment was dark, the open floor plan lit by the dim glow of the city that was forever awake just outside of her large windows. She could still feel the faint rumblings of the train that had just passed through as she padded her way across the cement toward her bed.

Shaw had barely put pressure on her mattress when a sound, some form of creak, caught her attention.

Her eyes scanned the open space around her and saw nothing.

Shaw snatched up the gun from her nightstand, moving about her apartment for a closer inspection.

She was about to give up and head back to bed when she suddenly found herself pinned to her wall.

Shaw grit her teeth, anger twisting in her chest as something else coiled low in her belly. She could hear Root's smile, feel her cool breath against her neck.

"You can say what you want... But your thoughts, they are the truth. I know what you've been thinking about..."

Shaw stiffened and glanced back as far as she could with her peripheral vision but she couldn't quite see the vampire.

"I know what you want me to  _do_  to you." Root breathed, nails cutting into the sensitive flesh of Shaw's hips.

Shaw gasped softly, hating the way that Root's words had excitement sparking in her body. Hating how much truth there was to them.

She heard the vampire's smile pull wider again but didn't have time to be annoyed by that fact. Root's teeth plunged into her shoulder suddenly and Shaw's nails dug into the brick as she fought the urge to cry out.

She sat up suddenly in bed, dripping sweat, the sheet below her body clutched tightly in closed fists.

 _"Fuck_!" Shaw cried angrily, wanting nothing more than to throw a childish tantrum and whatever was within her reach.

xxx

A few days passed and Shaw still found herself plagued with her vivid dreams. Her body was overly sensitive and she was less alert than she had ever been.

"Still having trouble sleeping?" Cole asked, sounding a little worried.

"I'm fine." Shaw snapped in exasperation.

He frowned slightly but decided not to push the subject, instead turning his attention back to his computer.

"Still no leads?" She asked a few minutes later, her tone softer.

"No, nothing concrete anyway... We've got to find them soon though." Cole said, his frown deepening. "They took two more last night."

"Shit..." Shaw muttered, leaning back in her seat and pinching the bridge of her nose. "I bet they noticed those occupants of the other nests weren't coming around anymore."

The two man team had been tasked with the job of breaking up another nest but when they had moved on the last known location, the vampires had already cleared out.

They had been on the move since, always one step ahead of the hunter and her partner. And if they didn't get results soon, they risked being retasked.

While Shaw didn't hate the idea of leaving the city early to distance herself from Root, she didn't want such a blemish on her record.

"Well,  _some_  good news..." Cole said, interrupting her thoughts.

"We've got a side mission to keep us sharp. Apparently a Spinnetod targeted her first victim last night at a local art gallery. There's another show a few blocks away tonight, Wilson wants us to survey on foot."

A slow smile pulled across Shaw's lips, "You ready to be bait, Cole?"

"Not really... Those things are terrifying." He muttered, closing the laptop and starting the van. "Let's go scope this place out..."

Shaw chuckled and let her eyes drift toward the buildings passing outside of her window.

xxx

The gallery was large, mostly an open space with a maze of partial walls to display a wide variety of hanging pieces. There were sculptures and other large pieces spread out across the floor and hanging from the ceiling as well.

"It's going to be difficult to keep a visual without being overly obvious.." Shaw said, unnecessarily. Her eyes trained on Cole as she watched him process the comment. "You sure you're up for this? It has been a while."

"Going to have to be." Cole muttered, "Besides, she's not going to attack at the gallery, right?"

"No, she'll just use that to scope out her prey... And judging by the body dump, it looks like you'll be going to  _her_  place."

The Spinnetod, a spider like demon that they were after, was in molt. The females went through cycles and had to molt every five years, or risk their outer appearance aging drastically, despite their actual age. To keep their skin youthful and molt, they had to devour a male's insides to expand their flesh enough to crack the outer most layer of their skin.

The first victim of this particular Spinnetod's molt had been a rich and married man. His withered corpse had been found just an hour before they were sent the mission.

To complete her molt, the Spinnetod would kill two more men within a two day time period from her first kill.

Shaw skimmed the report, reading up on the information they had on the last victim. She smiled slightly when she noticed an attached section of the email that was a cover for Cole."We better go get your outfit."

Cole rolled his eyes, hating how much Shaw was enjoying herself.

xxx

 _"In position, what about you?"_ Shaw asked, popping a hors-d'oeuvre into her mouth.

"Yes... Are you eating already?" Cole asked, exasperated.

_"You want me to get this bitch, don't you? I shoot like shit on an empty stomach."_

Cole shook his head, trying not to fidget and instead focused on trying to look like he was casually browsing the artwork.

His expensive suit, purchased with money from the program, was stiff. He felt claustrophobic as he waited for their target to show. "Any sign of her yet?"

Shaw's eyes narrowed and her grip tightened on her plate. _"Actually, we might have something..."_

She quickly ditched the paper plate, eyes on a tall woman with black hair.

The woman had her back to her but Shaw could sense that she was not like the people around them, the  _humans_  around them.

Shaw's jaw flexed, she could tell that it was the blood in her system telling her that this woman wasn't normal. She didn't want to trust it but her other instincts told her that it was right.

The woman turned her head slightly, her mid length, wavy hair still hiding her face from view.

Shaw watched as she moved to round the corner and move on to the next display.

_"She's headed your way. Dark wavy hair, extremely pale skin, black hat and coat."_

Cole swallowed, swirling the wine in his glass. "Got it."

As he waited, he glanced down toward his finger and the ring that was sitting heavily on it, his mind on the last victim.

 _"I can't come too far around the corner but she seems to just be looking at the art... She may be waiting for someone to approach her."_ Shaw said, _"I'll watch as best I can..."_

Cole inhaled through his nose deeply, trying to rid himself of some of his nerves before he turned, eyes sweeping the area around him. It didn't take him long to pick the woman out of the crowd, even if he hadn't known her from her clothes and hair... There was something about her that made her stand out.

He swallowed hard as she glanced over her shoulder slightly, as if she could feel the weight of his eyes on her.

Cole moved slowly toward her, until he was standing behind her and the piece she had been appreciating for the last few minutes.

"The pieces in this show are all so abstract, aren't they?"He asked, eyes trained on the painting. He could see her shift slightly at his comment and moved his eyes toward her in response.

She was beautiful, smooth pale skin, dark wide eyes and red stained lips. A small smile curved at the edges of her mouth.

"True but beautiful all the same." She said finally in a soft tone before turning her eyes back toward the painting. "Personally, I prefer my art to be more abstract... It gives each viewer the chance to see things a little differently."

Cole took a slow sip from his wine, "This is a good point."

"Are you an artist?" Cole asked suddenly, when the conversation fell quiet between them. This time he made sure to angle his body toward her more and did his best to relax his posture.

"No, a collector." She said, her smile returning. "Although I wish I had the hand for it."

He smiled back, "Same. What do you collect?"

The woman gave a small chuckle before moving on to the next painting, leaving Cole to follow her. "A little bit of everything... Whatever I like, really."

"And do you see anything worth collecting tonight?" He asked, trying to keep up as she once again started walking. He swallowed when she kept up her pace and didn't respond right away.

The Spinnetod rounded a corner, leaving them one 'room' away from the entrance. She turned then, just enough to glance back over her shoulder. "I was actually just thinking about leaving..."

Cole's heart picked up its pace in his chest, worry twisting his stomach. He had pushed too hard, she was suspicious of  _something_.

"Would you like to have a drink, maybe continue our conversation?" She asked, her tone dipping slightly.

 _"Good job."_ Shaw praised over the com,  _"I'll be right behind you."_

Despite his partners assurance, Cole felt the worry in his gut deepen as he followed the Spinnetod out of the gallery.

xxx

Cole stared at the large print hanging on the living room wall of their target's expensive condo. He could hear her pouring their drinks at the nearby bar and his anxiety was growing with every passing second.

_"I'm in position, yell once you've got conformation that she's our girl."_

Cole swallowed but said nothing, despite desperately wanting to remind her how much he  _hated_  this plan.

He jumped as the Spinnetod appeared next to him suddenly, offering him a glass of Scotch on the rocks.

"So, what do you think?" She asked, nodding toward the piece.

"It's nice..." Cole commented, praying that his voice didn't betray his nerves. "but it isn't why I'm here, is it?"

He decided to be forward and move things along more quickly. Not only had it worked before but it would give him less time to mess things up.

The woman narrowed her eyes but kept her smile, "No, it isn't..."

She took him by the hand, leading him over toward the couch. She held his gaze as she placed her glass down on the coffee table, plucking his own from his hand and placing it down as well.

"I like it when a man is forward..." She whispered, wrapping her arms loosely around his neck before pressing her lips to his.

xxx

Shaw stood in the hallway outside of the front door, listening carefully but trying not to think too hard about the small sounds coming over the com. Her brow furrowed suddenly as the sounds changed to something closer to a scuffle.  _"Shaw!"_

Cole's panicked voice sent the hunter into motion without hesitation and she kicked in the door, gun drawn.

The Spinnetod hissed and glanced toward her, black eyes angry. She was already in her true form, her once beautiful features now grotesque. Two dangerous looking chelicerae protruding from her snarling mouth.

Shaw had only dealt with one other Spinnetod in her time as a hunter and it had taken months to get the disgusting, spider-like features from her head.

The other Spinnetod had also been a male, merely killing to kill as they did not need to molt every five years.

Males were generally smaller, weaker and as she was now discovering, much more clumsy.

Shaw swore as the creature easily evaded the first two rounds she fired off, abandoning Cole to go after the hunter instead.

"Fuck!" Shaw cried out, barely dodging the thick, acidic liquid the Spinnetod had just spit toward her angrily. She was pushed back even further when the creature advanced, black claws grating against her forearms.

"Cole, go! Get out of here!" Shaw yelled, managing to land a bullet in the creature's shoulder.

The man hesitated but finally left when he realized that he would only be a distraction for his partner.

Shaw swore again, barely dodging the coffee table as she tried to avoid more of the Spinnetod's acid. It hissed angrily as it burned into the carpet where she had been just seconds before.

The hunter lifted her arm and tried to aim but her muscles felt weak and her hands unsteady. A thick coat of sweat clung to her skin and she knew it wasn't from overexertion.

She grunted as she was thrown back into a nearby wall, her bullet missing completely.

The Spinnetod let out a laugh as she pinned Shaw to the floor, "You know... I'm not sure that feeding from you would help with my molt... But I'd like to return the favor for that bullet."

Shaw grit her teeth, struggling to get her body to cooperate so that she could better her position.

The hunter could see the Spinnetod's mouth and chelicerae moving and knew that she was readying herself to spew more acid. Luckily the creatures only had so much of it at their disposal and the previous attempts to hit the hunter with them meant that she was having to form more of the bile. She fought the urge to cry out as the creature squeezed her forearms, putting pressure in the gashes in them as well as irritating the bite marks from the vampire just days earlier.

Shaw knew that she was in trouble, her body was weakening by the second. The withdraw from Root's blood and the lack of sleep finally starting to catch up with her.

She frowned, watching in surprise as the Spinnetod sat up suddenly, turning her head away to look off toward the bar.

"Who are you?" The creature hissed, her long fangs flashing as she spoke.

"Oh, don't mind me. I'm just here for the show. Please, continue."

Shaw rolled her eyes as Root's nonchalant voice met her ears. She kept herself focused, taking advantage of the Spinnetod's diverted attention.

The hunter mustered all of her strength, shifting her body slightly so that she was in position. The Spinnetod looked back when she felt the hunter moving and Shaw acted quickly.

She snapped her head up suddenly, forehead crashing against the creature's nose.

The Spinnetod leapt off of her with an angry cry but didn't have time for another attack. Two well aimed bullets ripped through the creature's torso, one piercing her heart.

Shaw watched her target crumple to the floor, her own chest rising and falling rapidly.

"Nice shooting, smart, using the silencer." Root commented, staring at the dead Spinnetod from her seat on the bar.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Shaw snapped, pushing herself up off of the floor.

"You were in trouble again, I figured I would come watch you work." Root replied with an innocent grin, "I'm impressed! But I must say... You aren't looking well."

"Yeah, I wonder why the fuck  _that_  is." Shaw said, advancing toward the vampire angrily.

 _"Shaw."_ Cole's voice warned over their coms.

"Yeah, I know." She muttered, pinching the bridge of her nose. "You need to leave,  _now_."

Root's head was cocked to the side slightly and the strange look on her face was making the hunter uncomfortable. Shaw was about to repeat herself when the vampire hopped down from her perch.

"Alright, alright, happy hunting..." She paused by the open window that she had come in through to glance back over her shoulder. "And goodnight,  _Shaw_."

Shaw stared after her, her expression blank until a floor board creaked behind her. She glanced back to find Cole with a deep frown on his face.

xxx

The entire time they were doing their part of the 'cleaning' of the Spinnetod's condo there had been a tense silence between them.

The coms they used for missions were mostly for their own communication but the program had started recording their agents. A sort of 'black box' method in the event that a mission went wrong or an operative or hunter went missing.

Recently with the added pressure of the media focusing on vampires especially, more recordings were being reviewed.

Once the bullets had been extracted and all signs that Cole had been present were wiped, they had contacted the actual cleaner who would deal with the Spinnetod's body.

Shaw had been too wired from everything to go home, too angry at Root for putting them in the position that she had, too exasperated with what she knew she would dream about even if she  _could_  sleep.

She had refused Cole's offer for a ride and instead walked a few blocks before flagging down a taxi.

Now she found herself staring up silently toward Gen's apartment, she had thought about going up to check on the kid but indecisiveness kept her rooted to the spot.

Footsteps echoed quietly on the sidewalk nearby and Shaw's eyes flicked toward the approaching man. He was a little taller than herself and well dressed, definitely too nice for this neighborhood.

Shaw used his appearance as her reason to step off of the curb. She was halfway across the street when he spoke up suddenly, voice soft. "She's not there, Miss Shaw."

The woman immediately stopped in her tracks and glanced over her shoulder toward the man.

His eyes didn't leave hers but he shook his head and Shaw guessed that there was at least one other person waiting nearby.

This withdraw and lack of sleep was really starting to become a problem.

"I promise you that you will not need that." The man assured her as her fingers brushed the handle of her gun.

Her eyes narrowed and she kept her hand in place, scanning the immediate area for whoever it was he'd signaled to.

"I told my associate that I wanted to talk to you myself..." He added a moment later when she did not immediately relax.

"Where's the kid?" Shaw asked, her eyes flicking back toward his.

The glare cast from a nearby street light hid his eyes behind the lenses of his thick rimmed glasses. "Safe with us."

"Why did you take her?" Shaw asked, turning to face him more fully now. She watched carefully as he slowly pulled his phone from his pocket.

"You and your partner, Mr Cole, you did the right thing bringing her home... But she wasn't safe."

He took a few steps closer, extending the hand with the phone toward her. Shaw glanced between the phone and his face, eyes moving back toward the screen when she realized that she recognized Vadim and the vampires he was talking to.

"What's he doing?" She asked, although she already had a good idea.

"Making a deal, Mr. Loginov was fully aware that Miss Zhirova was missing..."

Shaw's jaw flexed as anger rushed through her. "He traded the kid for V?"

"Mr. Loginov has an addiction-"

"That's no excuse." Shaw snapped, wanting nothing more than to head up to the apartment and beat the shit out of the piece of trash occupying it.

"No, it is not." He agreed, "That is why my associate and I stepped in."

"How did you know?" Shaw asked, skeptically. "Who  _are_  you?"

"Who I am is not as important as what we do. My associate and I, we help people... And we would like to help you too, Miss Shaw."

"I don't need your help." She said, turning abruptly away from him to finish crossing the street.

"You and Mr Cole are in danger." The man continued, following a few steps behind her.

Shaw slowed her pace slightly, her irritation toward Root building back up at the sudden shift in topic.

"We can take care of ourselves." She muttered, trying to tell herself this had nothing to do with what happened tonight, that she and Cole were in danger on a daily basis.

The man, despite a limp, used his slightly longer stride to catch up with her. "If you would like to check in on Miss Zhirova, this is how you can contact me."

Shaw glanced toward the card, "She's staying with  _you_?"

"For the time being." He said, smiling slightly when she snatched the card from his fingers. "We do whatever it takes for those we help."

"I don't need or want your help," Shaw said seriously. "But I will check in on the kid." She promised, almost threateningly before walking away to leave him alone on the sidewalk.

"She's pleasant." A voice said from the shadows of a nearby alley.

"She's a loner, Mr Reese." The man in the glasses said, tilting his head toward the newcomer. "You weren't so different when I met you."

The other man chuckled, "True."

"How is Miss Zhirova?"

"Fine Harold, she's with Joss and Taylor."

The shorter man nodded, hands sliding into his pockets as they continued down the quiet street together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The use of the Spinnetod was a nod toward Amy Acker's guest starring role on Grimm and I wanted to give Cole some more time in the spotlight. :D I'm not 100% pleased with this chapter but it is an important one to set up things down the road.
> 
> Plus, two more familiar faces and the mention of another two! 
> 
> Hope you liked it. :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> WARNING: This chapter fits the rating.
> 
> This chapter is one I've been dying to write but I'm not sure that I like it now. I really hope that you guys like it. x___X

"Any luck on your end?" Shaw asked, rubbing at her temples as she scanned the patrons around her.

There was silence for a moment before Cole responded from his part of the building, _"No, I've got nothing."_

Shaw mumbled out a few curses before throwing her head back and draining her beer. It was nearing 1:30AM and they had endured another night with no luck, the vampires of their new assignment still managed to stay one step ahead of the pair.

"You aren't looking too good, partner." Cole said, this time in person. Shaw shook her head, placing her empty bottle down on the bar before rising to her feet.

"Shut up and let's go." She muttered, shoving her hands into her pockets and heading for the exit.

Cole followed hot on her heels, "I'm serious, Shaw. You're covered in sweat..."

"Will you drop it?" She said, rounding on him as soon as they were out of the bar. She held out her hand for the keys, ignoring the figure looming in the shadows of the mouth of an alley just a few feet away. It looked like Root but she knew that it wasn't actually the vampire. She had been seeing her from the corner of her eye all day, even in broad daylight.

Cole averted his eyes, snatching the keys to the van from his pocket and handing them to his partner wordlessly.

xxx

"Well, this has all been going so well... You think they'll send us backup soon?" Cole asked, checking his phone. He had reached out to another group working in New York. Their group was larger, composed of four members, three hunters and one agent like himself.

Shaw made a small sound in the back of her throat, reminiscent of a grunt but otherwise remained silent.

Cole watched, concerned as Shaw's eyes relaxed slightly. A glazed and far away look entering her features.

She had been silent since they entered the van and while he had initially thought it was out of irritation he was beginning to think differently. He watched her fingers tighten on the steering wheel absently.

"Hey... Shaw, are you alright?"

Cole's voice was distant and muffled to her ears and the hunter did not respond.

Her heart rate picked up slightly as the road they were driving on seemed to flicker, a familiar highway appearing in its place.

Shaw could hear music filtering softly from the speakers of the radio, her Father humming along.

He smiled at her, glancing away from the road for a second. _"Thanks for coming with me to watch the game today, kiddo."_

Bright lights flooded their back windows suddenly, from the headlights of a car that was now just behind them. The vehicle rushed them out of the fast lane, forcing her Father to swerve into the slow lane to their right.

He shook his head, mumbling something under his breath before glancing toward the passenger seat.

 _"Are you alright?"_ She blinked up at him, not looking at all concerned by what had just happened. He was used to it by now, knew that it was something that she couldn't control. _"Promise you'll never drive like that, Sameen."_

Shaw's throat tightened slightly, her mouth opened to respond but just like the memory the night was from, her reply never came.

Her Father continued softly instead, _"You can't control or trust what other people do... You can only trust yourself."_

The SUV shook slightly as they passed over something on the road and her Father turned on his signal and prepared to move out of the lane they were in.

Shaw inhaled and timed seemed to slow as everything suddenly went out of control. A tire popped violently as it hit something sharp on the road, sparks shooting up as metal met highway.

The hunter stared blankly, completely unaware that she was letting the van drift dangerously close to the other lane.

"Shaw." Cole warned, repeating himself a moment later as their tires met the rumble strips. She couldn't hear him and her fingers twisted over the steering wheel, stomach dropping at the false sensation of being in a rolling vehicle.

Shaw's eyes seemed to snap open then, taking on an almost wild look. She turned the wheel harshly toward the right and took her foot off of the pedal.

The car behind them honked its horn loudly and the hunter blinked, exhaling slowly in an attempt to calm her breathing.

She ignored the heavy weight of Cole's gaze as she pulled into a spot on the side of the street. The car behind them passed, once again blaring its horn angrily.

"What the hell was that?" Cole asked, watching as she released the steering wheel.

"I don't know." Shaw responded blankly, grateful for the darkness around them that hid the way that her hands were trembling.

She swallowed thickly, trying to shake the image of her Father lying limply beside her in the wreckage. Trying to forget the way his arm had protectively braced her against the seat as they first started to roll.

It had taken her years to blur it from her mind, never quite forgotten but buried away deep.

"You should drive." She muttered suddenly, reaching to open her door. Cole watched her silently and knew without a doubt that there was something very wrong with his partner.

xxx

The hallucinations had started out so innocently that she hadn't actually thought much of them. Too concerned with the illusive vampires they were hunting and her struggle to get a good nights rest.

At first it was only flickers of things, mostly in her peripheral vision. Up until the last incident, it had also only been Root. Looking smug and obnoxious as she usually did.

Shaw wasn't sure if it was the lack of sleep that made them escalate so quickly but regardless of the reason, they needed to stop. It all needed to stop. She thought as she seethed silently in the back of a cab, she was going to kill Root.

xxx

Root glanced up as heavy footsteps came crashing down the stairs toward where she, Jason and Daizo were seated talking to a client.

The man had been sent her way by Elias and he could give her a much more reasonable price on the alcohol she provided for her human patrons.

She ignored his irritation and allowed amusement to seep into her expression as Shaw angrily rounded the corner. "Back so soon, Shaw?"

The hunter merely picked up her pace, swinging her arm back at the last second before bringing her closed fist heavily against the side of Root's face. Jason and Daizo jumped to their feet nearby, fangs bared and hissing.

Root waved them down but any amusement had completely left her.

Four deep holes were gouged into her cheek where the spiked 'silver knuckles' on Shaw's fist had struck her.

"Leave us." Root ordered, her voice cold.

Shaw's posturing remained stiff, her hand hovering over the stake strapped to her thigh as she listened to the men head for the stairs.

"So what do I owe the pleasure of this visit?" Root asked sarcastically, tongue running along the inside of her cheek, over the puncture wounds as they slowly healed themselves shut.

"This has to stop." Shaw said angrily, turning her full attention back to the other woman now that they were alone. "I'm having fucking hallucinations now."

A slow smirk pulled across Root's lips but unlike the normal smirks she reserved for the hunter, they didn't quite reach her eyes. "It's your own fault, if you didn't fight the blood… Things would be so much easier."

Shaw grit her teeth, the memory of earlier that night flashing in her head. She lurched forward suddenly, the stake in her hand.

The weapon embedded itself deeply into the back cushion of the loveseat where Root had just been sitting. Shaw whipped her head over her shoulder but was too slow, the air already shifting around her.

Root grabbed the hunter by the back of her neck, throwing her like a rag doll toward the far wall by the stairs.

Shaw braced herself for impact but it never came, Root snatching her out of the air at the last minute. The vampire loomed above her, a mocking smirk on her face as she dipped Shaw as if their fight was a literal dance.

The hunter angrily swung the stake for Root's chest again, barely missing before falling to the floor.

The impact was nothing compared to what it had almost been but Shaw's body ached regardless.

She was sweating profusely now, her vision a little hazy as she sat up.

Root watched her, amusement slowly creeping back into her features at the smaller woman's determination. She watched Shaw rise unsteadily to her feet and drop the stake with a clatter.

The hunter had her gun in her hand in a matter of seconds but before she could fire, the vampire disappeared.

Shaw gasped, the air forced from her lungs as she was pushed roughly into the floor. Her gun arm pinned uselessly beside her leg.

Root's face had gone serious again and her eyes, crimson stained along the edges, bored into the hunter's. "Were you going to shoot me?"

Her voice was soft, barely a whisper.

"Shoot you and then _stake_ you." Shaw said seriously, "I wanted to watch you squirm for a bit."

Root's eyes hardened then, her fangs appearing instantly. The vampire's black painted nails dug into the front of Shaw's jacket as she tilted her head down toward the hunter's throat.

Shaw averted her eyes, keeping her head up. She knew at this point, against a vampire this old, what happened next was entirely up to Root. The lithe but solid body above her had no give and in her weakened state, there was nothing she could do to change that.

Root's breath was cool against her neck, she could feel the vampire hovering just inches away from her pulse point.

Instead of fangs and the sting of a bite, a cool and chaste kiss was placed against her overheated skin before Root's weight disappeared.

Shaw blinked, sitting up slowly to glance back toward the loveseat where Root was once again seated. Her legs crossed and arms spread out over the back of the small sofa.

"Now, can we talk like mature adults? Or would you like me to rough you up a bit more?"

xxx

"So, what can I do to ease your obvious discomfort?" Root asked with a smirk, "That must have been some hallucination..." She added a few seconds later.

Shaw's glare turned dangerous again and she moved to reach for her gun.

Root tutted in disapproval, "Ah ah... Did we not just learn a lesson?" She asked, flashing her teeth.

"How much of it could you see?" Shaw asked, her voice cold. She knew that some vampire's actually had the ability to shape dreams, as well as see and feel them.

Root's smile fell slightly, "None of it. Generally I try to stay out of the minds of others... There's enough going on in my own. I can feel your emotions toward them, though."

The vampire tilted her head slightly, "You feel things differently than most others do... Leaves just enough mystery to keep me interested." She said, smile reappearing.

Shaw's hand twitched but she settled it back down to the couch regardless. Annoyance still plain on her features, although she was somewhat comforted by the fact that Root hadn't been looking in.

"Fine. You can ease my discomfort by breaking the blood tie. I can't keep dealing with this bullshit, I've got a job to do." She admitted, her anger rising slightly at the admission.

Root's smirk merely widened, "You hold the key to that being easier, Shaw. This tie is actually

something that can be beneficial for both of us... If you allow it."

Shaw laughed sarcastically, "Yeah, that is complete and utter bullshit."

Root's expression relaxed slightly, "Is it really though?"

Shaw's brows knit together and she glared at the vampire darkly, "I'll bite... How's it benefit me?"

Root licked her lips at the response, "I bet you do."

The hunter shot her an exasperated look, "Can we be serious?"

Root sighed, seemingly bored by Shaw's resistance to her humor and innuendos. "You're forcing yourself into a more intense version of the later stages of withdraw... Resisting the blood makes you feel like shit in an attempt to break you... Force you back for more to lessen the symptoms. If you fought it less and let things play out the way they're supposed to... Things would be easier, you would be able to sleep, the blood would give you limited but enhanced strength... More alert senses, longer endurance..." Shaw ignored the way Root's eyes swept over her body on the last word, keeping her eyes fixed on the vampire's until she glanced back up.

"So how do I fight it less? You're not biting me-"

"No, it doesn't have to be about that." Root admitted, "Although I'd be lying if I said I didn't hope it would go that route..." The vampire's voice dropped slightly to a velvety purr. "I bet you taste amazing."

Shaw swallowed thickly at that, trying to resist the urge to squirm at the memory of Root kneeling between the legs of a woman that didn't look so different from herself just a few nights before.

"So... If this doesn't have to do with you biting me, how do I fight it less?" Shaw asked, trying to keep her tone as even as possible and hoping that Root would have a serious reply.

"You're more than intelligent enough to figure that out on your own..." The vampire replied, a slow and seductive smile sliding across her lips. "Although I'm curious as to why you didn't question it sooner..."

"Question what sooner?" Shaw asked, narrowing her eyes.

"How you get your information, who it is you're hunting... If we're really all ruthless killers." Root said, her pupils dilating slightly as she watched a emotionless mask slide across Shaw's face. "They give you just enough information in your training to kill but not really to fully understand the beings you hunt. We're just a mark, a job. I bet you've had a few that hurt though, haven't you?"

Shaw swallowed, the image of a child flashing in her mind. The little boy had been turned at the age of six or seven but even with his diminutive stature, he had slaughtered nearly an entire building before they brought him down. He had been fast, difficult to hit. The scar he'd left on her bicep itched and she fought the urge to touch it.

Her eyes glanced down toward it and Root's gaze followed. The vampire's eyes moved lower then, "Those smell like they're pretty deep... Would you like me to heal them?"

Shaw's lip curled slightly, "Hell no." She fought the urge to scratch the deep scrapes and gouges that were still healing from the female vampire and Spinnetod.

She watched the other woman rise from the loveseat to make her way over and kneel before her. "I don't have to heal you the same way..." Root offered, her voice dropping as she reached out slowly for Shaw's right arm. The wounds there were the deepest and although it was tempting to stop the vampire simply on principle, Shaw allowed the sleeve of her sweater to be rolled back.

Root inspected the scabbed injuries quietly, "I'll have to open them back up but it will only hurt for a second..." She glanced up, the red ring around the edge of her iris growing slightly.

Shaw swallowed, nodding silently.

The vampire smirked, quickly ripping off the scabs. Shaw's jaw flexed, the sting of the freshly opened wounds twisting her stomach pleasantly.

Root glanced up, biting her lip as her fangs popped to life. Shaw watched the vampire's blood form slowly, welling up where her fangs had sunk in. The hunter swallowed, trying to ignore Root's smirk as she felt her lips moving against the wounds.

"Is that really necessary?" Shaw asked, not liking the breathy quality her voice had taken on. She knew that Root could have easily opened the tip of her finger and healed her but she hadn't wanted to let on that the other woman had the ability to get under her skin.

"Don't worry, I'm not feeding..." Root promised, pressing one last kiss to the freshly mended skin. She moved onto Shaw's left arm then, making quick work of the injuries there as well.

Shaw blinked, watching in surprise as Root stood as soon as she was finished. The vampire smiled down at her, holding out her hand. "I hate to cut our chat short but I really do need to finish that conversation and you need sleep."

The hunter stared at the vampire's open palm for a moment before pushing off of the cushions and bypassing it completely.

xxx

Shaw sighed as she stepped under the warm jet of water. The heat a welcome relief from the cold outside. It seeped into her slowly and calmed her as she reflected on her talk with Root.

She hated to admit it but the vampire was right. The group they worked for trained their operatives and hunters to be proficient in killing but seemed to keep them in the dark on quite a lot more. Shaw's knowledge of vampire's outside of how to kill them came from working in the field, not her superiors.

The hunter had not given it much thought until the vampire's came out into the open and even more so now, with Root. She didn't trust the vampire, she didn't even like her but there was something about the creature that told Shaw she wasn't a direct threat, although she easily could be.

Her thoughts were interrupted by movement in the space of her apartment beyond her bathroom.

Shaw knew that it was just her mind playing tricks on her but she still had to fight the urge to slip out from under the stream of water and grab her gun.

A few minutes and more mystery noises later, Shaw's thoughts were confirmed.

She kept her eyes closed, savoring the last few seconds of peace as she heard the shower curtain shift.

Shaw knew realistically that Root couldn't really be there. The vampire couldn't enter a mortal's residence without permission.

Her current hallucination posed a very convincing argument though. A shiver rolled down the hunter's spine as Root slid up behind her silently.

Shaw kept her head bowed, her hands flat against the shower wall. The muscles of her back tensed slightly as Root's cool body pressed against her own. Smooth skin moved against her, quickly becoming slick as the water rushed over them.

Teeth teased Shaw's shoulder lightly and Root's hands slid from briefly covering her own, back over her forearms toward her torso.

Shaw shivered more but remained still as dark nails dug in slightly. Cool hands slid lower, over her rib cage, before shifting to slide over the contours of her stomach.

She could hear Root's grin, feel her teeth skimming over the back of her shoulder. The vampire's lips pulled wider as she gripped Shaw's hips, pulling their bodies closer together.

Shaw grit her teeth, jaw flexing as she pushed off of the wall and twisted around to face the taller woman. She leaned in for a kiss, fingers aggressively weaving into Root's hair.

The vampire evaded her though, pulling back and smirking slightly not seeming to mind the way her hair was being pulled taunt. "Ah ah…"

"What?" Shaw breathed impatiently, fingers tightening their grip. "I'm not fighting it…"

Root's red eyes darted up to meet her own, "No, you're not…" She agreed, "But you're not letting it happen."

Shaw stilled her movements then, her muscles relaxing as Root shifted closer.

The hunter shivered, a chill rolling down her spine as Root pressed her fully against the shower wall.

The vampire's cool lips and tongue moved painfully slow across her neck and she moaned softly. Giving herself over to the predator. The thought left her a little unsettled but it was buried beneath a heady haze of denial. It was just a hallucination, it didn't matter.

She tried not to think about the fact that vampires had powers tied to dreams. She tried not to think about how much of what was happening in her head Root could feel.

Shaw groaned, head falling back against the shower wall as Root's fangs finally sunk in. A cool hand palmed at her chest as the other slid over the sharp edge of her hip.

The hunter's eyes fluttered open and she glanced down. She watched as two small streaks of crimson joined the water running down her body to swirl at her feet.

Root sucked harder on her bleeding neck, drawing small circles on the inside of her thigh with the dull edge of a nail.

Shaw ground her hips up slightly, her jaw flexing as her pent up frustration continued to build. Root chuckled against her neck, withdrawing her teeth slowly. Shaw watched through half lidded eyes as the blood trails swelled. They were flowing more freely now as Root's mouth moved lower, toward the junction of her neck and shoulder.

Shaw gasped, Root's hand no longer playing idly against her thigh. Her teeth sunk in seconds later and Shaw's eyes fluttered closed, her body nearly overwhelmed by the pain and pleasure coursing through it. It didn't take long for her body to come undone, legs going weak beneath her as she slumped against the slick shower wall.

Her eyes fluttered open, locking with Root's. The vampire was smirking, blood and red lipstick smudged slightly around her mouth.

Shaw blinked and the vampire was gone, leaving her alone in the muggy shower, her own hand between her thighs. She removed it quickly, sighing and silently praying that Root wasn't aware of the fact that she had just touched herself to the thought of her.

The hunter finished her shower, turning off the water and stepping into the humid but significantly cooler bathroom. She dried herself off, her body still humming in its afterglow.

Out of curiosity, Shaw ran her hand against her mirror, smudging away some of the fog that clung to it. She found no bite marks along her neck but instead, a bright red lipstick stain stood out against her cheek.

Shaw lifted her hand, her fingers brushing the mark as her brow furrowed. She blinked and just like the vampire that had left it there, it was gone. She rolled her eyes and hung up her towel to move on to finishing her nightly rituals.

xxx

It had been two days since her little chat with Root and Shaw was feeling infinitely better. She had woken the morning after, feeling well rested and energized. The dreams still played in her mind while she slept but she didn't fight them anymore and found herself sleeping significantly better. They left her body tingling by the time she awoke and promptly forgot them.

Her dark eyes scanned the bodies around her, silently praying that tonight would be the night they got their big break.

They hadn't been given any more side missions and she was getting antsy. It normally didn't take this long to bring nesting vampires down, especially if they all appeared to be younger vampires. They seemed to be getting smarter.

It was still early in the night and they were only at the first of three bars that they would visit.

Shaw lifted her glass to her lips to take a sip when someone caught her attention from the corner of her eye. Her left eyebrow twitched a fraction higher but her normal scowl didn't quite fall into place.

Root smiled, swinging her hips a little more than necessary as she approached where Shaw was seated. The vampire tilted her head slightly, tapping her finger on her cheek just in front of her ear.

Shaw rolled her eyes at the questioning look and quickly shut off her earpiece. "They're going to want an explanation for that, you know."

"I'm sure you can come up with something." Root said, sliding in on the other end of the booths bench. "You look like you're feeling better."

The edge of Shaw's lips quirked into a lazy smile but it was brief. She could sense an odd energy crackling between them and wondered exactly how much Root knew about her last hallucination. The thought of the memory caused her pulse to speed up and she watched as Root's highly alert senses immediately picked up on the change.

The vampire's chest stilled and she only breathed when necessary for her to speak. "I think I've got someone you might be interested in meeting..."

"Who's that?" Shaw asked, sipping casually from her drink. Hoping the burn on the back of her throat would distract her from the pleasant twisting in her stomach.

"Ah ah... You've got to go to him." Root said, a mischievous glint entering her eye.

Shaw watched the vampire rise smoothly to her feet and begin heading back through the other patrons for the door. The hunter sighed and quickly drained her glass before moving to follow.

The cold air hit her hard as she exited the bar, sending a chill through her despite the thick jacket she had slid on while still inside. Root was standing to her right a little ways down the street, waiting patiently for her to follow. Shaw did, moving silently after the vampire until she disappeared into an old meatpacking building.

"And how do I know this isn't a trap?" Shaw asked, knowing that the other woman would hear her despite the words being whispered to the empty street.

Root reappeared just beyond the doorway, her red eyes glowing eerily as they caught the glow from the nearby street light. "I guess you'll just have to trust me."

The words hung between them for a moment and Shaw had to fight back the urge to shoot the other woman a caustic reply. Root turned away then suddenly and disappeared further into the supposedly abandoned building.

It didn't take Shaw long to figure out where the vampire had disappeared to, a dim light leading her back a short hallway into a much wider and open space. There was a chair in the center, under one of the large overhead lights.

The light flickered slightly but Shaw could still easily make out the form of a man hunched over on the chair. "Who is he?"

As soon as she spoke, the man lifted his head and bared his fangs. It was then the hunter realized that he was bound to the chair with thick silver chains.

"I caught him trying to snag a human from my bar..." Root said, appearing suddenly beside him and smacking him harshly across the face with the back of her hand. She stared down at him with disdain, "One of my employees has seen him around... He's part of the nest you and your  _assistant_ have been looking for. We're not all heathens like this one... Some of us talk like civilized beings."

As she spoke, Root trailed a finger against the silver casually, her fangs popping into existence as her fingertip burned against the metal. "I figured I would let you have the fun and get their location out of him..."

Shaw looked at her, surprised by the offering.

The vampire moved away from the man then, toward a nearby table, her fingers now idly tracing the edge of what looked like a piece of leather. "This building is one of Elias' many projects... One day it will be returned to its previous glory but for now, it has found some _new_ uses..."

With a flick of her wrist, the top layer of the thin leather case fell away, exposing several different types of tools. Shaw's eyebrow twitched a fraction higher and she approached Root to get a better look at the selection. Her eyes swept over them quickly, realizing that they were all coated in silver.

While many of the sharp tools looked fun, Shaw's eyes kept going back to the pliers on the far right. She snatched them up, shooting a small grin in Root's direction. "Although I hate to spoil the fun, we're sort of on a time crunch..."

Root licked her lips, a sort of nervous excitement creeping into her features. She was all for gore and dismemberment but Shaw really was cutting straight to the chase. Vampires could heal and recover from many wounds, including those inflicted by silver. (Although those healed much more slowly.)

Removing a vampires fangs was a painful and humiliating punishment that left them without the ability to feed on their own and the less blood ingested, the slower they healed. A vampire without their fangs was an embarrassment, shunned by their own kind and reduced to a withering husk unless they found another way to break the skin. Now that humans knew of vampires existence it was easier for them to find a willing human to feed from but in the past it had been much more difficult.

Root ran her tongue along her own teeth, the distant memory of her fangs being ripped from her mouth causing a shiver to roll down her spine. The pain had been excruciating and it had taken her nearly five years to regrow them completely.

The vampire blinked, brought back to the present as Shaw hovered over their captive.

"You can make this quick and relatively painless... Or, I can make you wish you never existed." A slow smile spread across the hunter's lips as she spoke, the dark glint in her eye making the expression anything but friendly.

The man bared his fangs, his red eyes narrowed angrily.

Shaw shrugged, "I did warn you."

The hunter reached for his chin and was rewarded with teeth snapping angrily at her fingers, forcing her to pull her hand back. She was about to strike him with the pliers when Root appeared, firmly grasping either side of his jaw from behind.

"I'm not here just to look pretty, you know." She said, batting her eyelashes toward an exasperated but equally grateful Shaw.

The man grunted and strained against Root's grip uselessly, his lips twitching in agitation as she forced his jaw open through his cheeks. Root raised her eyes then toward Shaw, to watch as the hunter contemplated which fang to pull first.

She settled on the left lower canine, just wanting to give a warning to start. The lower fangs were secondary, significantly less important than the top, longer two.

The male vampire's struggling increased as Shaw positioned the pliers over his fang, his muscles straining against the chains holding him in place. He was hissing and growling, his eyes even more crazed than before.

It was over in a matter of seconds and a quick tug. Thick, black, slow moving blood spilled over his lip to run down his chin. The man howled in pain, his neck muscles straining as he fought to pull his head out of Root's grip.

"You keep that up..." The female vampire whispered from above him, "And I'm going to break your neck."

Shaw hovered over him, smirking darkly. She moved the hand holding the pliers to get his attention, "Where's the nest?"

His lips twitched into a snarl before he spit at her, blood and saliva catching the edge of her chin as she tried to shift back. The hunter's smirk merely widened and she wiped her face clean with the back of her hand.

Root tightened her grip angrily, making the man cry out and giving Shaw the opening she needed. The pliers cracked across his temple, silver burning the flesh upon impact.

"I'm going to ask you nicely one more time..." Shaw said, leaning over him again. "Where's the nest?"

"Fuck you."

A smirk slid across Root's lips then and she forced his mouth open as she had the first time, watching as Shaw pulled the second canine from his bottom jaw.

He stubbornly refused to talk and the female vampire felt her gums ache in phantom memory as Shaw prepared to take one of his primary fangs. She averted her eyes at the last second, ignoring the way the head in her hands trembled and struggled against her.

"A little lopsided..." Shaw said, as she looked into his mouth. "But you've still got one, last chance."

By now the vampire's eyes were completely red and black was beginning to creep in around the edges. Shaw had seen the black more than a few times, it was when vampires entered a state of frenzied and mindless behavior. Her window was closing and by the looks of it, quickly.

He held his silence, even as his body began to convulse slightly against the chains with pent up energy and aggression. Shaw pulled his second fang, if only to make herself feel better before tossing it and the pliers away angrily.

_"Fuck!"_

"Could I try?" Root asked, speaking up for the first time in minutes. Shaw noted the darker quality her eyes had taken on and the serious expression on her face. The hunter stepped aside, giving her more than enough room to work.

Root released the other vampire, circling him for a moment before stopping in front of him. She leaned down, hair concealing her face from Shaw as she covered his forearms with her hands. "Last chance before I take what we need."

Shaw's eyebrow arched slightly both at the _we_ and Root's use of the word _take_.

She didn't catch the man's response but it was obvious that it wasn't the right one, Root yanked his head back roughly by his hair and exposed his neck. Before Shaw could stop her, the female vampire was biting deeply into his neck.

"Hey, we need him alive... Won't his maker-" Shaw stopped talking as Root held up a slender finger in her direction. The vampire's back went rigid and her eyes rolled back slightly before fluttering shut.

Shaw watched silently as Root fed, understanding clicking in her mind as she did. Some older vampires held the ability to access memories from the blood of another being, especially in the case of other vampires. These blood memories were often broken and distorted but if Root could get a location...

"Outside of the city, there's a warehouse in the mountains." Root said suddenly, glancing back over her shoulder toward the hunter. Her eyes were even darker than before, her own thin line of black clinging to the edge of her iris. "They're hunting individually... And then meeting up with their prey to feed."

Shaw watched as Root straightened up, the hairs on the back of her neck standing slightly on end.

Aside from the obvious change of her eyes, there was something darker and more feral about the other woman now. Shaw immediately noted that the vampire was not breathing.

There was a little red staining her lips from when she had been feeding but was faint and mostly remnants of smudged lipstick.

"I take it you can find it on your own?" Root asked, stepping closer and purposely entering Shaw's personal space.

The vampire lifted her hand, gently wiping away a bit of blood that had made it's way higher on Shaw's cheek.

"Yeah, I can manage…" Shaw mumbled pulling away from the gentle touch. It was a surprising contrast to the predatory look Root was giving her.

"Then you should probably get going…" The vampire whispered, a slow smirk pulling at her lips.

Shaw hesitated a moment, her eyes fixed on Root's. She felt like she should say something but she couldn't quite form the words, so instead, she turned to head for the door.

Root's voice stopped her before she could exit the building, "And Shaw?"

The hunter glanced back over her shoulder, her expression blank.

"Be careful."

Shaw rolled her eyes and turned to exit the building, mumbling a _"Whatever"_ under her breath.

xxx

"Come on, we're getting out of here."

Cole fought the urge to jump as his partner slid up behind him, whispering the words coolly in his ear.

"W-where the hell did you come from? And why haven't you been answering your com?"

She arched an eyebrow in his direction, "You were obviously very concerned."

He blushed at the way her eyes flitted toward the woman he had been making eyes at for the last couple of minutes. "I know you can take care of yourself." He said quickly, in an attempt to recover.

"Right, well, we don't need to be stalking seedy bars anymore. I got us a lead while you were chasing skirts." She slapped the top of the bar with her open hand before turning to stalk back through the crowd for the exit and Cole jumped up quickly to follow.

"How'd you manage that?" He asked as they pushed through the doors to head out onto the cold street.

"I have my ways." Shaw said cryptically, sliding the keys from her pocket and unlocking the van. They crawled in the back and shut the doors securely behind them.

"How very vague of you, Shaw." Cole muttered, rubbing his hands against his jeans to keep them warm as he watched her ready one of her guns.

"We're looking for a warehouse, not too far out into the mountains."

"Okay…" He mumbled, retrieving his laptop from his bag.

Shaw continued to ready her equipment while he hunted down the exact location of their destination.

She pulled out her thicker gear, an armored vest and neck piece that fit neatly beneath her jacket. It was tight fitting but plated in a way that allowed for optimal movement. The neck piece fit snugly to her jaw line, affording her some room if a vampire got close enough to try to get at her neck.

"Got it." Cole said suddenly, glancing up from his computer. "I'll call Wilson and fill him in while you finish getting ready."

Shaw nodded and continued the arduous task of putting her armor on.

The call was brief and she could tell by Cole's demeanor and the way he had spoken quietly that something was up.

"We're not supposed to engage just yet…"

"Why not?" Shaw asked, voice sharp.

"They want us to wait for backup, they're thirty minutes out from our location…"

The hunter's eyes narrowed into a glare, "Backup?"

He avoided her eyes and she knew without a doubt that this was a punishment and not actually any form of helpful assistance. They didn't trust them to finish the job, they had taken too long to accomplish it in the first place.

"This is fucking bullshit…" Shaw muttered, zipping up her jacket over her body armor.

Cole hastily shoved his computer back into his bag, "We can scout ahead and check things out at least. Set up some cameras?"

Shaw's lip curled up slightly but she nodded before rising to her feet to exit the back of the vehicle and head for the cab.

xxx

"Anything yet?"

Cole rolled his eyes, "No, it's been three minutes, Shaw."

The hunter huffed, her eyes watching the vampires as they moved around on her partner's computer screen.

It was difficult for her to watch as the cold blooded creatures roughed up the humans they had collected throughout the night. Taunting them and reminding them of what else the night had in store.

She only lasted a few more minutes before she was rising to her feet. "I'm going in."

"Shaw-"

"What are they going to do?" She asked, turning on him as her hand brushed the door handle. "They're going to retask us anyway… Might as well do the job we were initially given."

His frown deepened but he didn't move to stop her as she jumped down from the back of the van. Instead he double checked that his cameras were ready, if she was indeed going in she would need the backup from him at the very least.

This nest was significantly larger than the last, the original rumors had hinted to a group of ten but it appeared to actually be eight.

 _"They're all still in that main room toward the back... "_ Cole said, _"The front of the building should be clear, unless we're wrong and they're waiting on more than one member."_

Shaw smirked as she slid in silently through the front door, "I knew you'd have my back."

 _"Yeah, well, someone's got to…"_ Cole muttered, still not thrilled by the idea of going against Wilson's orders.

Shaw chuckled before falling silent as she moved through to inspect the blind spot between their first and second camera. They had placed them as soon as they had arrived, moving as quickly and quietly as possible to keep from alerting the vampires. Luckily the creatures had been too distracted with their human captives to notice.

She had just reached the end of the long hallway when static rushed through her earpiece. Shaw's brow furrowed and she tapped the device with her finger. "Cole?"

Silence was her only response and she held her position for a few minutes, confident in her abilities but not foolish enough to believe she was good enough for all seven vampires at once. She glanced down the hallway, grip tightening on her weapon as she heard screams echo from the large room the vampires were occupying.

_"-Shaw, you there?"_

"I was going to ask you the same thing, what happened?"

 _"- Don't know, having some kind of technical difficulty… Just getting the video feed back now."_  His voice was a little broken by static but she could hear him clearly enough. Shaw's jaw flexed and she was about to start moving again when Cole spoke up, stopping her in her tracks.  _"Shaw, we've got a problem…"_

"Yeah, it sounds like the vampires are slaughtering them already…"

 _"It wasn't the vampires."_  Cole said and she could clearly hear the panic rising in his tone now.  _"Shaw, get out of there, now!"_

The hunter was about to argue when a chill rolled down her spine, a loud howl echoing down the hallway.

xxx

Shaw moved as quickly and as quietly as she could, adrenaline pumping her blood through her veins as she made her way back toward the entrance. She could hear the maze of hallways and corridors behind her being filled with a myriad of noises. Mostly growls and the snapping of hungry jaws.

Werewolves were dangerous, even with the proper equipment but Shaw had none of it. It was all back at her apartment. Silver bullets she carried on her occasionally but not nearly as much now that she had been supplied with ultraviolet rounds.

The bullets would injure the werewolves but would only kill if aimed very well and by the sounds coming from behind her, there would be too many for that. Silver would have slowed them down, giving her the time necessary to make kill shots.

_"The entrance is clear, they must have come in through the back-"_

Shaw grit her teeth as a howl cut in over the com and Cole immediately fell silent. "Cole, what's going on out there?"

When no response came she began to plan for the worst, the door was within sight now and just in time, too. The sounds behind her had grown closer, the wolves making them nearly upon her.

Shaw pushed through the doors, flushed skin cooling slightly as the cold air outside rushed over her. She had barely taken a step onto the concrete just beyond the building when her com came to life again.

 _"GET COVER AND GET DOWN, NOW."_  Cole's voice was loud and urgent and Shaw reacted quickly. She moved toward a nearby dumpster and jumped inside.

She had barely hit the old cardboard piled up at the bottom when a loud boom echoed around her, shaking the metal container.

The metal was dented from the impact of the hot air that had expelled outward from the explosion but it had done its job. Shaw lifted herself up slowly, her ears ringing as she peeked over the side of the container.

Their white van was in pieces, the entire back compartment blown out and distorted beneath roaring flames.

The tattered remains of four bodies littered the ground with the debris and she wondered if her partner was one of them.

Shaw's grip tightened on her gun and she hopped out to make a run for the fence. Behind her she could hear the door practically being ripped off of its hinges as the beasts still in the warehouse fought each other to get out.

Nails scraped across brick and metal, their urgency growing as they spotted the hunter running across the asphalt.

Shaw twisted her body slightly to shoot back toward them as one broke free and started after her. He let out a yelp, his body crumpling into a rolling dive after the bullet tore its way through his chest.

The hunter guessed she had hit him in the lung, he could recover but it would take him time to heal. She contemplated firing off another round into him but two more breaking free behind him changed her mind.

She was so engrossed in keeping her eyes on the wolves headed toward her from behind that she nearly missed the one coming from another direction. A shot rang out and Shaw's eyes widened slightly as the beast crumpled to the ground just a few feet away. A well placed bullet right between the eyes having brought its hunt to an abrupt halt.

"I told you somebody had to have your back…" Cole panted, popping up from behind the abandoned skids that Shaw had been headed for.

He hadn't been too far away when he had taken the shot but she couldn't help but feel proud of him and a little impressed. "I thought you were charcoal by now."

"Nah, I figured it was about time I utilize those bomb facts you forced on me." He said with a grin.

Shaw joined him behind the skids and they pressed themselves back to back, peeking around to fire off shots as more wolves continued their approach.

"You going to be consistent with your shooting?" The hunter asked, shooting and making two more headshots of her own.

"No promises." Cole said, nerves causing his voice to waver slightly. He had been trained with a gun but never really used one out in the field unless absolutely necessary.

"Shit…" Shaw muttered, "You better hope you can."

The three wolves still nipping at each other and scuffling as they tried to make their way toward the humans were suddenly brought to a halt as a loud howl cut through the cool night air.

It was deeper than the others and much louder, "Is that…?"

"Yes, Cole. That is a beta." Shaw muttered, reloading while she had a chance. "When was that backup supposed to be here?"

"What, you want their help now?" Cole shot back, incredulously.

She rolled her eyes and was about to respond when they were both knocked to the ground suddenly, the skids on the top of the pile crashing down on them.

Shaw groaned, her eyes cracking open and immediately becoming alert as a shadow loomed over her.

The creature was large, significantly taller and wider than its subordinates. Upon further inspection she realized she was looking at a lanky male, human and wolf features more hybridized than the others. A medium length, snarling snout and short fur along the back of the arms and spine, some of the other features.

The deadliest were the obvious, the elongated canines and the thick, hooked claws.

Shaw reacted quickly as the beast lurched forward to press down on her, kicking the skid on her body up between them with her feet. She yelled loudly, using the force of her expelled air to kick out harder as the wood splintered above her.

"Cole, move!" Shaw yelled, rolling out from beneath the skid as the beta howled in pain. A large sliver of wood protruding from his padded palm.

He ripped it out with his good hand, the skin slowly stitching itself closed.

Shaw fired off a round that dug deep into the beast's pectoral muscle. He made a sound halfway between a yelp and a snarl but pressed forward anyway and continued toward her.

Shaw fired again, this time landing a nearly direct hit to his heart. He fell to his knees before crumpling the rest of the way to the ground, a weak howl escaping him.

Shaw could feel her hands shaking slightly from the abundance of adrenaline coursing through her, there was something else there too, _power_. She could feel a raw sort of energy rippling through her muscles.

She took a step forward, kicking the dying beta heavily in the side and forcing him onto his back. The hunter stood over him, gun pointed straight for his head. She was almost certain that he would die from his injuries but she didn't want to take the chance of him healing.

Time seemed to slow then.

She heard a gun fire, followed by Cole swearing. He was bleeding from the temple, little chips of wood clinging to his hair and clothes.

Shaw's grip tightened on her gun and she moved to change her aim, watching as he raised his arms to defend himself from his attacker.

The wolf bearing down on him shattered his forearm easily, making the man cry out and bring the broken limb closer to his body. His other arm was forced away and the wolf tore into him despite the bullet that landed heavily in its back.

Shaw tried to fire again but her weapon jammed and she rushed forward without further hesitation, dropping her gun in favor of the long knife strapped to her thigh.

The hunter cried out, her body plowing into the werewolf and knocking him harshly to the ground. She raised the knife above her head before bringing it down with deadly precision. The first blow punctured a lung, the second tore through his heart. She yelled more, her own teeth bared as she plunged the blade into his chest again and again.

She stopped a minute or so later, arms burning slightly as she stared down at the bloody and lifeless face of the wolf as it faded back to its normal human features. She felt no sympathy, only more rage welling deep within her stomach.

Shaw swallowed thickly, not needing to turn around to know that it was too late.

She could hear Cole's raspy gasps for breath, the gurgling of the blood he was choking on. Teeth and claws had torn out his throat, just enough damage to leave him to suffocate.

Shaw leaned over him, her eyes and throat feeling too dry all of the sudden. She could hear more wolves circling her but she lingered, eyes locked on Cole's. They looked dim, the normal light behind them gone as he faded away.

The hunter turned suddenly, swinging her blade at the wolf who had wandered too close. She yelped and backed away to resume circling the human with her pack mates. Shaw stared them down, her dark eyes taking on a feral look as she knelt by Cole.

It was only a matter of time before they worked up the nerve to move closer, or before their alpha showed itself.

As if on cue footsteps echoed across the opposite end of the parking lot, her eyes widened slightly at the figure that emerged from the shadows.

"You know, I thought a former Marine would be better at taking orders."

"Wilson..." Shaw muttered, her dark eyes following him as he approached.

He smiled and cocked his head to the side slightly, eyes turned down toward Cole's motionless body. "He always was a weak one, wasn't he?"

"Shut up!"

The man's smile curved up into a sneer, "I never understood what Hersh and Special Council saw in you Shaw, you're just a feral dog... Like the rest of them."

He paused then and something seemed to click, Shaw glanced toward the wolves still lurking and then looked toward the deceased one on the ground nearby.

They were all wearing collars.

Some distant part of her mind remembered noticing it but hadn't thought anything of it at the time. Some of the packs were gangs during the daylight hours and would adorn themselves in matching articles of clothing before shifting into their wolf forms.

"...They're  _yours_?" She asked, her voice bordering incredulous.

He chuckled and raised his hand, instantly the wolves circling her came to stop. They looked toward him, as if they were awaiting orders.

Shaw's grip tightened on her knife, the handle slick with blood but stuck fast between her fingers.

She could tell he was ready to gloat, ready to throw another insult but she wouldn't give him the satisfaction. The hunter threw her knife with everything she had now that he was within range, a smirk tugging at her lips as it hit him just below his clavicle.

He cried out, his eyes flashing gold as he ripped the blade angrily from his body. He tore open his shirt next, yellow tan fur replacing the clothing just as quickly as he shed it.

"Fuck..." Shaw lurched for her gun, praying her blood soaked hands could unjam it in time. Her fingers had just brushed the metal when a huge, clawed hand slammed into her back. Pain blossomed over the spot, and the hunter struggled to catch her breath even before strong fingers wrapped around her neck.

Wilson's lips curled back over his teeth, every bit of humanity gone from his features but the recognition in his eyes. Alpha's were tall, muscular with a full coat of thick fur and large, clawed hands.

The man was tall as a human but Shaw had never seen an alpha quite this bulky before. Her red stained hands clawed at his significantly bigger one to no avail, white and black spots flashing across her line of vision.

She could feel herself beginning to lose consciousness when she was suddenly dropped to the ground and Wilson was no longer standing over her.

"Get her out of here!" A voice cried, Shaw distantly recognized it as Root's.

The hunter gasped, struggling between choking and trying to get as much air into her burning lungs as possible. Her fingers clawed at the armor covering her neck that was now dented from the intense pressure that had been placed on it. She somehow managed to detach it, even in her frenzied state. Inhaling deeply after it clattered to the asphalt. 

Jason ignored her attempts to catch her breath and instead picked her up without hesitation before throwing her over his shoulder.

Shaw watched through glazed eyes as Root engaged Wilson, the vampire cried out as nails raked angrily against her back and side. Her vision blurred and she tried to focus but the two were moving too fast and her head was being jostled around as Jason carried her toward a nearby vehicle.

"Get her back to the bar..." She heard the man mumble to someone behind the wheel, she didn't care who. Her attention now focused on the outline of Cole laying on the cold ground, his body silhouetted by the light from the moon.

xxx

Shaw groaned her eyes cracking open slowly before an intense throbbing in her skull forced them back shut. She could feel a pain in her side and back too and she wasn't quite sure what that was from.

Her hands moved blindly toward the source before someone grabbed her by the wrist, "Leave the bandage be."

"What is it?" Shaw asked, her voice rough.

The woman sighed, she was a regular employee of Root's but Shaw couldn't remember ever getting a name. She just recalled seeing her around the bar, her neck littered with as many bite marks as Daniel's.

"You had four puncture marks to your side and back... Looked like that alpha grabbed you pretty good. All that armor and you still somehow managed a near fatal injury."

Shaw blinked up at her through a scowl, surprised by the fact that her adrenaline had been intense enough to hide such an injury from her. She sat up slowly, flinching as she did.

"You're neck is pretty bruised too... Root only had enough blood to give you for your side-"

"What do you mean?" Shaw asked curtly, her fingers brushing across the spot where Wilson had been crushing her throat.

"You were dying, again. Or, close to it anyway... Jason tried to give you his blood but Root refused, even with her condition-"

"Her condition?" Shaw asked, cutting the woman off again, much to her obvious annoyance.

"Yes, her  _condition_." The blonde repeated curtly before rising from her seat to leave Shaw alone on the couch.

The hunter glanced toward the hallway that lead back to Root's room and didn't hesitate to make her way slowly over toward it. Jason shot her a glare as soon as she came within his line of sight.

"She doesn't want any visitors..."

"She gave me her blood again, I don't really give a shit what  _she_  wants."

"She  _saved your life_." The vampire shot back, his upper lip curling back slightly.

Shaw mirrored his expression and stood toe to toe with him for a moment before a soft voice from came from the room behind him. Jason glanced back over his shoulder, his posture relaxing before he opened the door with an air of exasperation. "Make it quick, she needs her rest."

The hunter nearly stopped in her tracks when she stepped over the threshold to the dark bedroom, her eyes widening slightly. Root's frame was withered and the deep gashes littering her body were tinged purple and black. Silver chains held her in a kneeling position to the floor.

"What's all that?" Shaw said, her voice softer than she had intended as she eyed the strange set up.

"It's to keep me from ripping your throat out." Root said, her voice low but sweet. She tilted her head to the side, her red black eyes following Shaw as the hunter circled her to inspect the injuries she could see.

"Why aren't you feeding?"

Root's lips parted to expose her fangs and she licked her lips. "Are you offering?"

Shaw didn't answer, although deep down she knew that she was considering it.

"These wounds won't heal just from feeding... Alphas can inflict permanent damage... And he wasn't normal, he wasn't turned, he was  _created._ In a lab, this is what they do behind those closed doors, Shaw. They make  _monsters._ "

The hunter ignored the comment, her eyes narrowing slightly. "You're dying?"

Root licked her lips again, although it seemed more from nervousness this time. "Irony is the fact that I once asked for the true death... Do you know why they call it the true death, Shaw?"

"No." Shaw said slowly and it wasn't a lie.

"It's a true death because immortality comes with a cost..." Root struggled against her chains slightly, her frail features making her seem more human than cold blooded creature. "You die and your soul is gone, your essence lost. Never to exist again."

The vampire laughed then, a hollow sound as she let her body strain forward, supported by the chains. Her head fell, chin laying against her chest.

"You need to leave." Jason growled, his head peering around the door before shifting his eyes toward Root. "She's here."

Shaw looked between the two vampires, her brow furrowed in confusion. She would never admit it aloud but her partially mended wound had made the journey into the room completely exhausting. She struggled to hold her composure, not wanting to expose any form of weakness.

Jason shot her a glare but pushed the door open the rest of the way, a tall and beautiful woman moving around him. Her skin was pale and her dark brown hair fell over her shoulders in waves.

Root exhaled sharply, her chest going motionless and her features softening as her eyes fell on the other woman. Shaw looked between the two of them, her confusion deepening until the newcomer passed her.

She only got a brief look but she could see the four puncture marks on the otherwise unblemished skin of the other woman's neck. She was marked, she was  _Root's_.

The woman glanced back over her shoulder, a curious look flitting across her features before she turned her attention back to the vampire.

Shaw watched them with disgust, the words of the female vampire she'd killed not so long ago echoing in her head.

 _"You've been given the blood but not the_ mark. _"_


	6. Chapter 6

Root ignored Shaw as the hunter moved for the door, her eyes focused intently on the newcomer. She swallowed thickly, lips pressing into a thin line as she felt her fangs push out further from her gums.

She hated the way she was salivating at the sight of the woman before her, her teeth itching to tear into supple flesh.

"... What have you done to yourself?" A soft voice asked, a warm palm sliding down her cheek toward her neck, fingers trailing against the long gash there.

"We encountered an unexpected snag..." Root whispered, eyes dropping to the floor as the door clicked shut nearby. The other brunette's frown deepened and she placed gentle fingers against the vampire's chin.

"You could have died."

Root raised her eyes reluctantly, her guilt returning as she watched the other woman roll up her sleeve.

"Feed now and regain your strength… You can worry about it once you've recovered." A warm limb was offered to the vampire and her eyes moved toward Jason who was waiting silently by the door.

"If she can't stop me herself, _you_ stop me." She said firmly, a dangerous undertone to her voice.

He nodded, his expression serious as he watched her bite into the other woman's arm.

xxx

Shaw groaned as she settled herself back down on the couch, pointedly ignoring Daniel as he approached.

"How are you feeling?" He asked, taking a seat on the loveseat across from her.

"Fucking fantastic, isn't it obvious?" The hunter growled, wincing slightly as she tried to settle herself into a more comfortable position. She stared at him, her dark eyes searching his own for a minute. "Who the hell was that in there?"

Daniel swallowed, his eyes shifting toward the hallway that she had just come from. "Well, she's-"

"Just tell me, I know she's marked." Shaw said, hoping that her straightforward approach would get him to talk faster. The _I know she's Root's_ unspoken between them.

"Her name is Hanna… She's an old friend of Root's, from before she was turned." Daniel admitted in a quiet voice.

Shaw's eyes narrowed, "You said Root was old, the oldest vampire on the East Coast..." She reminded him, "What the hell is she then?"

He looked like he was about to respond when the door at the end of the hall opened and closed. The two humans glanced toward the hallway and Shaw was a little surprised to see Hanna had already left Root alone.

"How is she?" Daniel asked, rising quickly to his feet.

"She will recover, she wants you to go back to work and stop worrying about her." The other brunette answered with a smile.

"How are _you_?" He asked, seeming suddenly concerned by how pale she was.

"A little light headed but otherwise alright."

Daniel nodded, "Thank you, for coming on such short notice…"

"It was no problem. Thank you for coming to find me."

Daniel glanced back toward Shaw a little sheepishly, "Feel better."

The hunter grunted, glaring after him as he headed for the steps. Her eyes moved toward Hanna then, when the other woman lingered beside the loveseat. They stared each other down for a moment, neither speaking.

Hanna's smile hadn't wavered but the rest of her expression was an unreadable mask.

"We're not together, if that's what you're worried about." Hanna said suddenly, amusement dancing in her dark eyes.

Shaw's eyes narrowed, "Did I ask?"

"You were considering it." Hanna said as she sat down across from the hunter. "That and, wondering exactly what I am."

Shaw chuckled and averted her eyes, this woman was either highly perceptive or…

"I'm a faerie." Hanna said, offering the information willingly. Shaw guessed it was to form some level of trust between the two of them.

The hunter's eyes moved back toward the other woman, "Aren't you supposed to have elf ears, or something?"

Hanna's smile pulled wider, "I'm only a halfling, raised by my human Mother in this world rather than in Fae."

"That's what it's called?"

Hanna chuckled, "Yes. You probably only know it as a different plane than this world, it is where I live now. Where I will be returning to, first thing in the morning."

Shaw's lips spread into a thin line, "Won't Root need you?"

"Faerie blood accelerates a vampire's healing… In this case, it is still slow going because of the werewolf venom in her body but she will heal. It isn't safe for me here, it's a miracle I survived here as long as I did."

"Because of your blood, right?" Shaw asked, she wasn't an expert on faeries, they weren't usually violent. More mischievous than anything but she did know that their blood was often used to lure supernatural creatures in because of its enticing smell.

"Yes." Hanna said, almost sadly. "Technology is growing, on all sides. The humans are now aware of the presence of vampires… Some thought that shedding light on their existence would stop organizations like your own from killing all of them on sight… While it has worked, I'm sure you've noticed that the weapons used against vampires are slowly becoming more and more available to the public. Just as guns and other weapons they use on each other, silver bullets were the beginning… To stun a vampire and keep them under control. Soon the other weapons will follow. Faeries are being hunted for their blood and the things that it can do."

Shaw frowned, not liking what she was hearing. She had heard about the sale of silver bullets and while she had initially thought it was a good idea, she was beginning to reconsider.

Many of the vampires that frequented Fangtasia appeared to be fully willing to integrate into society without causing problems and while there would always be someone who would ruin that... It was a shame to see the innocent ones being persecuted as well.

This is what Cole had been afraid of, what he had been growing increasingly more worried of as he watched the world change around them.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Shaw asked, her eyes hardening. Daring the other woman to speak.

"For your loss." Hanna said softly, rising to her feet.

"Stay out of my head." Shaw growled, moving to sit up and immediately regretting the decision. Her head felt light and the room seemed to spin. Her hand flexed, grip tightening on the arm of the couch as she tried to fight the wave of nausea that was rushing over her.

"I will but please, lay back. Get some rest." Hanna urged gently, helping an irritated Shaw back into a laying position.

The hunter tried to argue, tried to be angry and push her away, but found herself too weak to do so. Instead she watched helplessly as the other woman walked toward the steps.

xxx

Shaw sat up slowly, surprised to find herself no longer spread out across the couch in the main space of the basement but instead, tucked under the covers of Root's bed.

After a few minutes of staring silently at the canopied top, she was able to force herself to remember lean arms lifting her from the cushions and carrying her back here.

Root's scent surrounded her and it felt oddly calming. She wasn't one for emotions, unless it was anger. Anger she understood, she felt it regularly and it was familiar. Despite her ability to stay emotionally detached she felt drained.

Cole was gone, she was as good as dead, her career was over and her only ally was in the form of a manipulative vampire.

She couldn't even go home now, she had no home. Her weapons were all gone, likely to be rooted through by some newby while the higher ups hunted her like an animal.

Shaw groaned as she sat up, needing to move and occupy herself. She was like a shark, she had to keep moving.

She pushed herself off of the mattress and padded across the floor, stepping over the chains still fastened firmly to the cool surface.

Shaw opened the door quietly and was immediately met with soft voices speaking from just down the hallway.

"You did everything you could, we had no idea that unit would have already been active." A low voice, a _man's_ voice said.

"Her partner is dead," Root responded coldly, "And we didn't even succeed in luring them out."

Shaw leaned against the frame of the door, feeling like she had just gotten punched in the gut. The words swirled around her mind for a moment as she thought about everything that had happened in the last few weeks.

"These things take time. The loss of that man is unfortunate… But you found us a perfect specimen, she got us inside without even realizing it and nearly got us the mystery man in the suit."

Shaw grit her teeth, pulling the door open wider so that she could slip through before stalking her way down the hall.

Root was looking straight at her when she rounded the corner, pale features an unreadable mask.

"You fucking bitch."

"Ah, and here she is… In the flesh. So good to finally meet you."

Shaw's eyes shot toward the voice, the man was balding and his glasses sat neatly on his face. He seemed completely unfazed by her outburst, if anything, he actually looked amused. She didn't need to have seen him before to know who it was she was looking at.

"Elias…" She spat the name out like it was toxic and she wasn't so sure that it wasn't. He and his connection to Root is what had started all of this that first night she had found herself in Fangtasia.

The night she became their pawn.

"What did he mean, Root? That I got you _inside_?" Shaw asked, turning her attention back toward the female vampire. "Is that why my partner bled out in that parking lot?"

Root stared at her blankly for a moment before sighing, "That night, with the Spinnetod… I hacked into your agency using your partner's computer. We were planning on using whatever information we could get off of the weapons you were using, just to start… But I was able to do even more digging before they locked me out. I could have kept trying… But I'd seen enough."

"-The unit they sent after you yesterday, they call them Hellhounds. They're genetically altered or turned werewolves. The collars are secondary means to control them, if they disobey. Really just oversized shock collars with trackers in them. The alpha, as with most packs, is the key. Your agency is creating their own form of super soldiers, Shaw. We just didn't realize they had already succeeded in creating such a full pack."

"You knew… You purposely approached one of our missions, knowing that they would hear you and investigate. See _someone_ got in from that computer." Shaw said, stepping closer. The dark quality of her eyes was increasing as she stared the other woman down.

Root kept her expression blank, "Yes, I did but you should know that your partner was doing research of his own-"

Shaw lurched forward suddenly at the mention of Cole, needing to inflict pain or feel it. She was on top of the taller woman in a matter of seconds, her fists pounding against Root's face and chest.

Jason and Daizo jumped to their feet nearby but Root held up her hand, wincing slightly as Shaw's fist connected with one of her injuries that was still healing.

She would have allowed the hunter to continue until she couldn't lift her arms but Elias had other plans. He grabbed the human by the back of her neck and held her up.

"Now, now… Root here is still learning that their are consequences to her actions... That collateral damage is possible no matter how much you plan or how strong you are." He smiled, setting her down gently. "What happened to your friend is truly unfortunate but we do have our reasons."

"The Hellhounds aren't their only project, Shaw." Root said, rising to her feet. "There is a war coming and the greatest weapon any of us can have is knowledge."

Shaw rubbed at her neck, still sore from the other night. "Well, count me out. You got what you wanted from me." She spat, her anger not dissipated in the slightest.

"And what do _you_ want?" Root asked, although her voice was soft as if she already knew the answer.

"I want you to break the tie." Shaw said, her dark eyes holding Root's gaze.

"Leave us." Root said after a moment of silence, her eyes never leaving Shaw's.

Elias motioned to his men and Daizo and Jason silently obeyed, leaving only the two of them in the open space.

"Are you sure this is what you want?" Root asked softly, "They aren't going to stop looking for you."

"I know." Shaw replied, averting her eyes. "I'll take my chances."

Root remained silent but stepped closer, her fangs popping into existence as she paused just inches away from the shorter woman.

Shaw narrowed her eyes but remained silent and still as the back of the vampire's fingers stroked gently over her pulse point.

Root's eyes moved back up to meet the hunter's when Shaw finally cleared her throat, uncomfortable by the close and intimate way Root seemed to be studying her.

"You going to do something, or what?"

The words seemed to flip a switch, Root's eyes hardening immediately in response. Her hand came up quickly to grip the back of Shaw's neck. The hunter barely blinked, ignoring the burning sensation Root's fingertips brought to her skin.

"We could have gone after them together." Root whispered, leaning in so that her lips were just inches away from Shaw's ear.

Shaw's lip curled back defiantly, "I don't need-"

Her words caught in her throat, the burning flaring into an inferno as pain shot through her skull. Shaw shuddered, eyes rolling back in her head before she went limp in Root's arms. The vampire sighed, withdrawing her nails from the other woman's skin and laying her gently on the cold floor.

She lingered a moment, eyes trailing over Shaw's unconscious features before she moved to exit the basement.

xxx

Shaw groaned, cracking her eyes open slowly and squinting at the bright light shining down on her from overhead. Her entire body ached, specifically her neck and side. Her back also felt stiff from laying in the odd position she had over the last few hours.

The hunter sat up slowly, adjusting her jaw and glancing around the quiet basement blearily. It was silent. There was no music or sound coming from above her and all of the other lights were out.

Shaw rose to unsteady feet, her eyes flicking back down the hallway toward Root's door as she moved for the stairs. She didn't hesitate though and instead moved immediately for the stairs and the exit.

She was surprised to see Daniel still sweeping up when she finally reached the first floor. He didn't look her way but she could tell he had noticed her. She pushed the door shut, eyes trained on the back of the man's head.

"I'm almost done here, if you'd like a ride." He offered, eyes still turned away.

Shaw didn't really want to take him up on it but she wasn't an idiot. Her body was in no condition for her to walk anywhere.

"Sure." She breathed, trying to keep her displeasure over the situation from seeping into her tone too much as she pushed off of the door to head for the bar. Daniel watched her from the corner of his eye, following her movements as she grabbed a bottle of whiskey and a glass. "Root owes me."

A slight smirk tugged at the man's lips, "Don't bother with the glass. Have the bottle."

Shaw smirked back, returning the glass before unscrewing the whiskey. She watched through lazy eyes as Daniel put his broom away and moved on to turning off the lights one by one.

"You ready to get out of here?"

"More than you know..." Shaw muttered, screwing the top back on her whiskey before following him to the door. She hesitated halfway outside when she realized he wasn't behind her.

Shaw's brow furrowed when she noticed the way he was staring blankly at the dimly lit space, eyes lingering on the stage and bar.

"You coming?" She asked, her voice soft.

He jumped slightly, blinking over his shoulder toward her. "Y-yeah. Sorry."

Daniel locked up quickly before heading for the beat up sedan parked in the otherwise empty parking lot. Shaw wrinkled her nose slightly as she settled herself into the passenger seat, clutching the whiskey to her chest as she tried to find an open spot on the floor mat for her feet.

"Sorry about the mess..." Daniel mumbled, turning over the ignition and switching on his headlights. "Anywhere in particular you're looking to go?"

Shaw grumbled something under her breath, slamming her door before tugging on her seat belt. "Just drive... I'll direct you."

The man frowned but put his car in gear as silence fell over the cab. Shaw kept her eyes trained out the window, watching as the city passed by just outside. Daniel pulled up to an all too familiar intersection and put his car in park.

"This it?" He asked, when she sat silently beside him, eyes trained blankly out the window.

"Yeah, this is it."

Shaw exited the car quickly then, barely sparing Daniel a wave back over her shoulder as slammed the car door shut. She stood on the cold sidewalk, ignoring the car as it pulled away.

She knew that she shouldn't be there. It was too familiar, even if she had been careful in her attempts to make sure no one knew where she lived.

Shaw wasn't there out of any sentimental value though, she wanted her weapons. Her second, undamaged set of armor. She set her jaw and was about to step off of the curb when two strong arms wrapped around her from behind.

"Nothing personal, Shaw..."

Shaw grit her teeth, her body going rigid as the needle was jammed into her leg. "Hersh."

"They didn't think you'd be emotionally attached enough to come back here... But _supplies_ are important, aren't they?" He asked, the smirk in his tone twisting Shaw's gut. She could feel the anger building in her body but the Aconitine was quickly taking affect, rendering it all useless. "You were a good hunter Shaw."

His words were whispered now, almost sounding disappointed. Or maybe it was just that her ears weren't working properly, Shaw couldn't tell. Her vision doubled and she felt the sturdy body behind her disappear, leaving her to crumple to the cold ground.

Hersh had barely been gone a few minutes when flashing lights rounded the corner down the street. The lights and the sound of the sirens were lost on Shaw though, already unconscious and barely with a heartbeat.

xxx

"What the hell is this one?" A voice asked, sounding dim and muted in Shaw's ears. She tried to open her eyes but her eyelids were heavy and fixed into place.

"Relax, Leon. She's human."

"That bitch is _human_?" The first man replied incredulously. "She's _strong_ and crazy! Nearly killed me when I gave her the antidote..."

Silence fell over the room for a moment and Shaw groaned, her hand moving for her forehead but it barely lifted off of the bed before it was held fast by something.

"Shit, she's awake already? You two have fun, I'm out of here."

"Goodbye, Mr. Tao. Thank you again for coming to assist us so quickly."

Shaw's eyes cracked open and immediately moved for the most recent voice, one that she recognized. The man shot her a sad smile as he moved closer to her bedside.

"Hello, Miss Shaw. I do apologize for your current restraints... Leon is not the trusting type."

The hunter glanced toward her arm then and realized that the handcuff connecting her to the medical bed was what the man in the glasses was referring to.

"Harold Wren, right?" Shaw asked, remembering the name on the card as she glared up at him through messy bangs.

"Yes-"

"Well, _Harold_ , you need to uncuff me right now. Or you're going to regret it." The woman warned, her dark eyes boring into his.

A second man, taller and dressed in a nice suit stepped forward.

"It's okay, John." Harold said, shaking his head. John glanced down toward his shorter companion before turning away to head back to where he had been standing previously. "Miss Shaw, I understand the reason for your distrust, but we are doing this for your own good. This apartment is yours, if you will have it, free of charge. I will cover the cost of your rent. All I ask is that you stay long enough to recover and regain your strength."

Shaw narrowed her eyes, remembering that the same man had helped the young girl she had rescued. "Why're you doing this?"

"We help people, Miss Shaw." Harold responded simply as he approached her to unlock the handcuffs.

"Yeah, you've said that before..." Shaw muttered, "Why? What's in it for _you_?"

"In most cases... Nothing." Harold replied, "In this case though... I will admit to having interest in a personal gain of sorts."

Shaw narrowed her eyes and waited for him to continue.

"You work, or at least... You used to work, for a government program who prevented terrible things from happening. Some are assigned to terroristic threats and then there are others, like you, who take down supernatural beings posing a threat to the public. We are building a team, Miss Shaw, and we would love for you to join us."

"A _team_?"

"A war is coming and many innocent lives will be caught up in the middle... John and I," Harold said, nodding back toward the taller man behind him. "We cannot do all of this alone. There are far too many to protect."

"And you want me to do what?" Shaw asked, not seeming at all impressed with his explanation so far.

"What you have been doing, Miss Shaw... With maybe a little less violence. I have even taken the liberty of collecting most of your equipment from your old apartment."

Shaw's eyes narrowed slightly, "If the man who trained me knew I would come back for it, then how did _you_ sneak in undetected?"

"We were unable to assist you and Mr Cole last night, so we recovered the equipment for you instead."

"You knew what was happening?" Shaw asked, her hand flexing as the metal fell loose from her wrist.

"There are multiple sides working in close contact, Miss Shaw... We can only help people if our identities remain a secret."

Elias' words echoed in the hunter's head, reminding her that he and Root were looking for a man in a suit. Her eyes flicked lazily toward John, the man hadn't said a word since she had been awake.

"For guardian angels... You two were a bit late to the party." Shaw said in a low voice, noting the way that the men flinched at her comment. Her fingers itched to make a move on Harold just to see what he and his _associate_ would do but she resisted the urge and instead watched as he removed the handcuffs from the bed completely.

"I am truly sorry that we were unable to protect Mr. Cole and I understand if you want time to consider this proposal... I do however hope that you choose to stay here for the time being. We will give you plenty of space and privacy while you recover. You have my number if you need anything." He lingered for a moment, looking as if he still had something he wanted to say.

The three glanced toward the doorway as the front door opened in the other room, a woman appeared a minute later a smirk playing at her lips.

"Hello, John." She said, brushing her fingers over the man's chest playfully as she passed him. Her eyes flicked toward Shaw then as she made her way further into the room. "Still alive, huh?"

"Miss Morgan, while it is good to see you I will need your key-"

The woman ignored Harold, her eyes still trained on Shaw. She cocked her head to the side slightly and appeared to be concentrating as if listening to something. "You're still thinking about doing something stupid, something that's going to get you _killed._ "

Shaw narrowed her eyes, "What's it to you, _Banshee_?"

It was a guess but Shaw figured she was right when the woman's lips pulled wider, flashing her teeth. "We need more people on our side, more _women_. Plus, I think your friend may need your help." She turned then to move back for John, ignoring the way that Shaw's brow furrowed at the word _friend_.

"Turn on the news." The woman added, over her shoulder before she pulled John into the next room.

Harold looked just as confused as Shaw felt and quickly reached for the remote that sat on the table nearby. The hunter watched as the screen came to life, a breaking news story flashing across it. Flames licked hungrily, distorting the large neon sign hanging over the front of Fangtasia.

xxx

Root stared at the television, her expression neutral as she watched the firefighters extinguishing the blaze.

_"... The building appears to have been completely empty at the time the fire was started. Vampire right's activists are leaning toward the incident being a blatant act of discrimination-"_

Root's expression remained fixed even as they introduced a spokes person for the American Vampire League.

Elias smiled sadly from the screen, _"I personally drew up the plans for Fangtasia and was quite pleased with the support that our community was getting. It would be truly sad to see such great progress set back by a few_ unsavory _individuals. Fangtasia may be gone but we hope that you will join us at our new location-"_

Root's lip curled up slightly, "Turn it off."

The television was off in a matter of seconds and the vampire looked toward Daniel then. "She was safe when you left her?"

"Yes, as far as I could see."

Root's eyes flicked toward Jason next and she gave a slight nod. "Bring him in."

Jason disappeared for a moment before dragging a bleeding man in by his hair. Root glared at him from where she was seated, her crimson eyes cold in the dim light.

"I hear you're quite the adrenaline junkie... Ramming your body into SUVs, charging armed men..." She started, rising quickly to her feet and ignoring the dull throb of her still healing injuries. She paused right in front of his kneeling form, bending slightly to grab him by the chin. "So glad your heart is still pumping... We're going to keep it like that, for now."

The man grit his teeth, a low growl rumbling in his chest.

He was the lone survivor of a pack of subordinates who had made an attempt on the vehicles escorting Hanna home.

His collar and the tracker inside of it had long been destroyed and the silver bullets in his torso were doing a good job of keeping him subdued. Root's lips split into a wide grin as she glanced briefly down toward the injuries before meeting his eyes again.

"First, I'm going to break every bone in your body and when I am done, I am going to pull these silver bullets out, so that you can heal. Once you're healed? I'm going to break your bones all over again before I bleed you dry. By that time, you'll be begging for me to kill you." Root whispered, her fingers nearly crushing his jaw.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The ending scene with Shaw was a bit similar to Relevance, I know. I tried to avoid similarities to Relevance as much as possible but this story in its one-shot form was initially based off of that plot. There's one more section in a future chapter that will feel Relevance-esque and then we're going to branch out a bit more. Sorry for the slow updates, I was a little stuck with my writing. 
> 
> For now I will be working on CW and my piece for the fic exchange but those of you looking forward to Till Death Do Us part, I have not forgotten about that fic!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the huge delay between updates guys, I am *hoping* to update more frequently from here on out... Until this story is finished. The sequel is already being plotted out but I may take a break between to work on another idea. :D
> 
> This is a bit of a filler / set up chapter. The next one will have a lot more action and violence as well as some Root flashbacks!

Shaw grit her teeth, glaring down at the vampire beneath her. The other woman was grinning ear to ear and it only infuriated her more. Her fingers twisted, tightening their hold on the stake clutched between them.

"Go on, do it." Root's voice was smooth and verging on mocking.

A short yell ripped free of Shaw and the stake arced downward toward Root, stopping short just inches away from the other woman's stilled chest. Root stared at her, brown eyes confident and unblinking.

"Admit it, you can't kill me."

Shaw's eyes snapped open and she groaned as she sat up in bed, her fingers rubbing at her forehead. It had been days since she'd had a dream about Root. Days since she had dreamt at all.

All traces of the vampire's influence had seemed absent up until that moment and she was suddenly filled with doubt. Why would the dreams resurface now? Had the bond not actually been broken, or worse, was this her mind acting on it's own?

The hunter shook her head, grumbling under her breath as she slid free of the covers to move for the bathroom. She had been intending on showering but decided she would rather stick to her normal schedule of exercising first.

xxx

Root smirked as muffled cries came from the body strapped down to the thick metal slab that she was hovering over. The temporary torture set up was in the basement of their new building.

"The body is so fascinating... Have you ever taken the time to actually watch it heal?" She asked, tone thoughtful as her eyes inspected the skin of the werewolf she was still torturing, watching as it meshed itself back together slowly.

Jason shifted uncomfortably nearby, "No, I haven't."

"Just watch the way the blood wells up before being pushed away by the new flesh " As she spoke she cut across the man's torso again, leaving a deep gash in the wake of her blade. The werewolf whimpered against the cloth gag in his mouth, his stomach trembling, sweat beading across his forehead from the stress of healing so frequently.

"Root."

The woman ignored the man behind her, drawing another slow and deep cut down the center of the werewolf's stomach.

"While I'm all for you continuing this guy's punishment. You need rest, you've got the bleeds pretty bad and you haven't fed in days."

Root grit her teeth, turning quickly to face Jason and grabbing him roughly by the front of his shirt. "I will decide when I am done, do you understand?"

Her fangs were bared, eyes red and alert despite the blood pooling in the corners of them. Crimson streaks had already run from her nose and ears.

"Yes " Jason said, averting his eyes.

"Good. Now go, you're looking more pale than usual, like you're about to start bleeding yourself." Root said in a low voice, releasing him and waving him off.

He hesitated, watching as she moved back over to the side of the slab. She showed no hesitation as she once again started to angrily break the bones of the werewolf strapped down to it.

Jason cringed slightly at the sound of the pathetic creature's muffled cries, trying to block them out as he moved for the nearby door.

xxx

Shaw exhaled slowly, ignoring the pain in her torso as she did ten more crunches. Her muscles ached but she had already been in her new apartment for five days. She had to keep herself sharp.

The hunter paused briefly, eyes flicking toward her front door as she heard movement from out in the hallway.

Shaw rose silently to her feet and grabbed a gun on her way over to her door. She suspected that it wasn't anyone looking to have her dead, considering they already thought she was, but she wasn't going to risk it.

One glance through the peep hole had her sighing in exasperation. She unlocked the door before jerking it open quickly.

"What happened to plenty of space and privacy while you recover?"

Harold looked up from where he was knelt down awkwardly trying to position a bag of what smelled like breakfast and a newspaper to go along with it.

"My apologies, Miss Shaw. I was just planning on dropping this off for you..."

Shaw's right brow quirked a fraction higher but she remained silent for a moment, eyes flicking toward the Belgian Malinois watching her closely from the man's side.

"Who's that?"

"This would be Bear." Harold said with a faint smile as he straightened back up, the dog's tail wagged slightly at the sound of his name.

"He anything special?"

"I am afraid not, Miss Shaw. Bear is a dog that John rescued on one of his missions. He has been with us ever since."

Shaw nodded, reaching out to let the dog smell her before scratching him lightly between his ears. She didn't know what she had been expecting, a shifter maybe. A dog seemed very simple for this rag tag group that was trying to recruit her.

Harold appeared to be human, John definitely was not, although she could not place him and the Morgan woman was a banshee.

Shaw ignored the way that Harold shifted on his feet awkwardly, eyes drifting down toward the gift instead.

"Well, I should be going. Bear enjoys quite the long morning walk. I do hope you have a good day, Miss Shaw."

Shaw tried to ignore him as she bent down to retrieve the items at her feet and quickly unfolded the newspaper. Her eyes narrowed when they fell on a picture of Cole and she glanced up after skimming the first few lines of the article.

Harold was still hobbling away, Bear following faithfully at his side.

"This your doing?" She asked, waving the paper in one hand, reclaiming his attention and bringing him to pause.

"I just thought you might like to see that." He offered over his shoulder, a sad smile quirking up the corner of his mouth.

Shaw hesitated a moment before speaking up again, "Let me get dressed. I'll join you."

xxx

"So, these missions, how do they work?" Shaw asked, hands buried deep in her pockets as she walked beside Harold and Bear.

Harold blinked, a little surprised by the sudden disturbance of the comfortable silence that had settled between them.

"You and I, we have worked for the same entity for the past few years." He began, "If you decide to join us, when you are healed, you will continue to work for that same entity. We do things a little differently but with your success in the past, I have no doubt that you will be an invaluable asset." He offered her a small smile before continuing, "We receive a number and that number directs us toward an individual. They are either the victim or the perpetrator. We narrow down which they are and assist in anyway possible."

"Assist? What if they're the perp?" Shaw asked, almost immediately.

"Then we see to it that they are brought to justice, in the least violent way possible."

The two of them slowed to a stop and Shaw raised one eyebrow. She was about to question the man further when Harold's phone went off in his pocket. He shot her an apologetic look before pulling the device free from his coat.

The man remained quiet for a moment, brows knitting together as he listened to whoever was speaking to him. "I see. I will be there as soon as possible, detective."

Shaw watched as he quickly ended the call before returning his phone to his pocket. "My apologies, Miss Shaw. I have some business to attend to. Thank you for joining us and I do hope that you have a good rest of your day."

"Wait, when can I start?" Shaw asked, starting after him when he turned to continue down the street.

"When you are healed I will be in contact with you, Miss Shaw. I promise."

"I'm _fine_." Shaw countered, her voice rising ever so slightly.

Harold shot her a look and a small crease still worried his brow. "I will be in touch."

Shaw slowed to a stop, a frown playing at her features as she watched him disappear, turning at the end of the street.

xxx

Daniel looked up, ignoring the people working around him as the door to the basement opened nearby.

"You're still up." He said, the worried words escaping before he had the chance to stop them.

The vampire shot him a dark look as she quickly bee-lined for the bar, "AB Positive."

Daniel swallowed at the unfriendly tone and moved without hesitation to prepare her meal for her.

"Aren't you worried, with everyone moving in and out?" He asked in a quiet voice, knowing her sharp ears would catch his words.

Root followed his gaze toward the door that lead to the front, it was pulled shut at the moment, blocking any light that might leak in from the entrance as furniture and equipment was moved in and out of the building.

The vampire rolled her eyes slightly, moving them back toward her human employee. "No. At best that kind of indirect sunlight would only hurt my eyes... Don't you know me by now, Daniel?"

He smiled slightly, relieved to hear a touch of playfulness had returned to Root's tone.

"I'm guessing things aren't going well?" He asked, his expression falling back to one more serious as he noted the blood welling up in the vampire's eyes. He could just barely make out where the previous bleeds had trailed down her face and neck, although she had done a good job of wiping most of it away.

Root snatched the drink from his hand and shot him another look, her dark eyes finding his over the edge of her glass. "Not well at all."

Daniel swallowed, remembering the way that Jason had looked when he had checked in before going to rest. He had wanted to make sure that Root ate, which luckily, she had decided to do on her own.

"Jason isn't going to like it... But I may have to take more drastic measures to pull the information out of him." As soon as she finished speaking, Root tilted her head back along with her drink, draining the the glass of its contents. She licked her lips as she brought the bottle back down to the wood of the bar.

"Make sure to note that in the inventory, will you?"

Daniel watched with concern as she headed back for the basement, looking at least a little rejuvenated after having her meal of synthetic blood. "Yeah... Will do."

xxx

Shaw huffed, snatching her beer from the coffee table nearby. She had spent the last few hours sharpening her knives after paying enough attention to her guns over the past few days.

She was itching to get out of her apartment, to  _do_  something. There was a lot of irritation still thrumming through her too, at the fact that her would be employer was refusing her work.

Shaw shook her head, swallowing a large mouthful of her beer before setting it back down. She was about to move on to her next blade when a rather loud conversation from the hallway caught her attention.

"I told you that this might happen. This poor kid bouncing from place to place and now you want me to just stick her with some  _stranger_?"

Shaw rolled her eyes as a male voice, too quiet for her to make out any details of, replied softly to the irritated woman. She was about to go back to her blades when she realized that the conversation had reached her front door.

The hunter narrowed her eyes, abandoning the blades to grab the gun she had sitting out nearby. She watched, hand firm on the grip of her gun as the knob turned before the door opened quickly.

Shaw raised her weapon but instantly relaxed as Harold came into view. She fixed the man with a hard look, "Twice in one day, really, Harold? And you're still refusing me wor-"

The rest of the word caught in Shaw's throat as a firm grip wrapped around her wrist. Her muscles flexed to stop what was happening but the other woman was too quick. She felt her wrist twist painfully and she went with the flow of the movement before slipping herself free. Shaw retaliated quickly, pinning the slightly taller body against the door frame with her own.

There was a small gasp from the other woman, and the two stopped to glare at each other in silence.

"Miss Shaw-" Harold started, a concerned tone to his voice.

"Nice piece." The woman commented coolly, eyes shooting for the gun aimed toward her head. She simultaneously ignored Harold's quiet protests and Shaw's glare. The woman's dark eyes shifted upward then, to look over what she could see of the apartment, "Open beer, knives,  _guns_... And this is who you want looking after Gen?"

Shaw grit her teeth, rolling her wrist experimentally as she stepped back to release the woman, now that she was no longer a threat. Harold was about to respond when she cut him off. "I can watch over a kid, I just wasn't expecting any company."

The woman shot her a look at the gruff reply and Shaw held her gaze.

"As I was trying to explain on our way up here... Miss Shaw and Miss Zhirova have met. She is fully qualified to watch over Miss Zhirova while you finish your case and John and I wrap up our work."

"Gen." The woman corrected, although her tone was much more calm now. "The kid's been through a lot, I just want to make sure that she's safe, and happy."

"Feeling's mutual." Shaw responded gruffly.

"Joss Carter. Sorry about the hassle but I needed to be sure-"

Shaw licked her lips, ignoring the dull throb in her wrist and the lingering thought that she didn't really mind being manhandled by beautiful women. Carter was curvy and had a confidence about her that was easy to see even in such a short span of time. "No problem, I get it."

Joss smiled, "Really is a nice gun. Mind tucking it and whatever else you've got laying around away while I go get her?"

Shaw grunted out a quick  _'sure'_ , eyes darting down toward her gun. She put the safety back on before tucking it into the back of her jeans. She then turned away to clean up the rest of her weapons as the other woman headed back out into the hallway.

"I am sorry about the intrusion..." Harold said after a moment, completely destroying Shaw's attempts to ignore his presence. As he spoke he stepped through the doorway and into the apartment before closing the door quietly behind him.

"You know, when I said that I wanted work... This wasn't what I had in mind." Her voice was colder now, obviously annoyed by the lack of notice.

"I know. This work that we do, it consists of many things. You may not enjoy all of them but they are all equally important in the grand scheme of things."

Shaw's jaw flexed as she finished placing the last of her weapons into her military issued cargo bag. She didn't like the idea of playing babysitter but this was what she would be doing now and she had known that. Earlier when she asked for work, she had been so eager to get back into the thick of things that she had almost forgotten what all this job could entail.

She was grateful, really. For Harold and his associate and what they had done for the kid.

They could have just as easily pushed her off into some group home, she would have ended up in the system. Now she had people who were looking out for her,  _protecting_  her and genuinely worried for her well being. She swallowed thickly at the thought.

Harold watched as she straightened back up, bag in hand. "If you would like, there is a hidden compartment in the floor of the bedroom-"

Shaw glanced back over her shoulder with a wry grin, "I know. Got bored, did some snooping."

Harold shook his head, a small amused smile quirking the corner of his mouth as she disappeared into the other room.

xxx

By the time Carter and the kid made it to her new apartment, Shaw was perched on the edge of the couch, arms crossed loosely over her chest. She frowned slightly at the way that Gen's eyes lit up when they fell on her but was relieved when her attention was quickly diverted to the lavish apartment.

It  _was_  pretty fancy. Definitely a step up from Shaw's last place, which was already better than what she had seen of Gen's previous living arrangement.

"I will show you to your room." Harold offered quietly, placing a gentle hand between the little girl's shoulder blades to guide her toward the bedroom.

"She's a smart kid but she'd rather play spy than finish her homework… You've got to stay on her about it."

Shaw shot Carter a look, slowly regretting her decision to agree to having this be her first job with the team.

_"Play spy?"_

"Mhmm. Kid thinks she's a regular Virginia Hall."

Shaw arched a brow but Harold's quiet footsteps diverted her attention, "She is settling in. I have already told her that she cannot watch any television before her homework is finished."

"This should only be for a night or two, I've just got a really messy case to wrap up and I'm not going to be able to have my son watch her. He's at his Dad's this weekend." Shaw nodded. It was Friday, so at least she wouldn't have to argue with the little mess of curls come morning.

xxx

Carter and Harold had excused themselves shortly after Gen had been brought up to the apartment, leaving the hunter alone with the kid.

Shaw swallowed a sip of her beer, adamantly trying to ignore the weight of the eyes on her.

"What?" She snapped finally, when she realized that the kid had been completely ignoring the homework on the table in front of her for the last five minutes.

"What are you doing?"

Shaw arched a brow and glanced back at the kid, facing her more fully over her shoulder to fix her with a glare.

"What does it _look_  like? I'm watching some TV, which you can do… As soon as  _that_  is done."

Gen's eyebrows knit together slightly, and the kid had the audacity to fix her with an exasperated look. "I mean… Aren't you a secret agent or something? Why're you here, watching me?"

Shaw blinked, narrowing her eyes slightly. "No, I am not some  _secret agent_. I'm a hunter, and I'm here watching you because somebody's got to. Stop procrastinating and finish your assignment."

"It's done." Gen said, sitting smugly in her seat.

Shaw's frown deepened and she heaved herself up off of the couch to approach the table and look over the kid's work herself.

"A hunter... Does that mean you're like Buffy?"

"No." Shaw grit out firmly, fighting the urge to shake her head. "I am not like  _Buffy_."

She ignored the weight of the kid's eyes on her as she looked over the work, skimming over the math problems and double checking the work as she went. Shaw had made it about halfway down the page when Gen broke the silence again.

"If you're here, where's your partner?"

Shaw lifted her eyes up from the paper, swallowing thickly as she stared off across the room.

"Is he your boyfriend?" Gen asked and Shaw could practically hear the smirk in her voice.

"No." Shaw snapped, almost too quickly. "He's... Gone for a while, got reassigned."

Her jaw flexed and she went back to looking over the homework laid out on the table, knowing that the lie hadn't been very convincing.

"He isn't coming back, is he?" Gen asked, her voice quieter now. Shaw ignored her, her eyes focused on the numbers as Gen began to fidget with the zipper of her sweater. "Is he dead?"

The question was soft and sad, Shaw wanted to be angry but found that she couldn't be. So instead she sighed heavily, bringing her thumb and forefinger to the bridge of her nose. "Yes."

Silence fell back over the room, thick and heavy. Shaw couldn't feel the weight of Gen's gaze anymore and she glanced back out of the corner of her eye toward the kid. The girl's head was bowed slightly, thick curls almost completely obstructing her face from view.

Shaw exhaled slowly, and straightened back up as she snatched her beer from the table. "Check number five again, everything else looks good."

Gen glanced up silently and watched as Shaw moved, without another word for the couch.

xxx

Root sighed, rolling her head from side to side to stretch her neck muscles as she made her way back up to the now busy club.

It was opening night and people had flocked out to see the new Fangtasia. It seemed even more humans were curious about the vampire bar and club after the sad fate of the first.

Root shook her head at the memory of the news broadcast. She had known that a second location had been in the works but hadn't realized how far along everything was. It had been a lucky break, considering what'd had happened. The woman licked her lips, red-black eyes scanning the bodies around her, lingering on the ones with a pulse.

The lights were dimmed but the low hum of the music and the scents around her were sending her senses into overdrive. She blocked out the chatter of voices, focusing more intently on why she had come upstairs for in the first place.

Root stepped forward, moving gracefully through the large space containing the bar toward the much more open space beyond, containing the lounge and dance floor.

She ignored the weight of Jason's gaze as she moved into the crowd of bodies, knowing full well that he would rather her be resting than hunting down a meal and distraction.

Her activities in the basement and the long hours she had dedicated to them had left her hunger curling deep in her belly. Her throat dry and desperate for something warm and  _alive_. The synthetic blood she had forced herself to consume hours before had done nothing for her in the grand scheme of things.

Root slowed to a stop, turning as a particularly delicious scent caught her attention. She glanced toward the source, a smirk quirking up the corner of her lips as her eyes settled on a tall and gorgeous brunette. The woman was already dancing with someone, a muscular but otherwise unimpressive male vampire. She approached the two of them without hesitation, "Mind if I cut in?"

They blinked, snapped out of their small bubble by the softly spoken words.

Root smiled at the woman, completely ignoring her dancing partner as he took a slight step back.

The man's eyes hardened and he looked between the two women, obviously not very pleased by the interruption. "I do mind, actually."

Root's eyes drifted back toward him lazily, completely unimpressed by the way his fangs had suddenly appeared. He could stand there puffing his chest and flexing his muscles all he wanted. She was far older, far more  _powerful_.

"I wasn't asking you." Root responded coolly, her voice calm and level compared to his raised one. The human next to them stiffened, caught off guard by the aggression being displayed. The people around them were beginning to notice too and seemed to be slowly drifting away, to give Root and the man more space.

He bared his fangs and Root's smirk merely widened, she could see Jason and another member of her security stepping away from the edges of the room to approach the scene. "I'm going to have to ask that you calm down."

"Or you'll do what?" He snarled, stepping closer to her.

"Are you aware that we only offer for patrons to feed from hosts within our establishment if they're VIP?" Root asked, glancing toward the marks on the other brunette's neck. They were faint, barely enough to have broken through top layer of skin but that man's intent was clear.

It took him a minute but recognition flashed across the man's features, " _Our establishment?_ " He asked, seeming more than a little thrown off.

Root merely continued to smirk at him, catching the look of surprise that flashed across the brunette's features from the corner of her eye.

In a matter of seconds, Jason and the second bouncer had the man subdued and were leading him toward the nearest exit. Root glanced toward the woman standing next to her, her smirk replaced by a much more tame smile. "Sorry about that but we have some rules to uphold. Are you alright?"

The woman blinked at her for a moment before nodding, "Y-yes, I think so."

"He was glamouring you, probably intended to take you out to the alley and bleed you dry... Something we do not want happening." Her voice was soft and charming, "Come with me? You should probably sit while you recover, that dizzy feeling will last for a few more minutes."

The woman gave a small nod which she quickly regretted, raising her hand up toward her face as Root slid up behind her. "Don't worry, I've got you."

xxx

Root's thumb played idly with the edge of a cushion, the bass vibrating through the curtained off booth.

She had led the woman down here, to catch her breath and recover from the glamouring. It was the lounge section of their new location, darker, quiet, more intimate. The section on the second floor overlooked the dance floor but this was more closed off.

The vampire glanced toward the woman, she was pretty enough. Long hair falling over her shoulder in waves, much more appealing now that she wasn't half dazed.

"Thank you, for what you did back there..." Root fought the urge to smirk at the hand that had found it's way to her thigh.

"Not a problem, the best way to prevent similar situations happening in the future is a firm hand now..."

The woman smiled, a hint of shyness to her expression. "...I was curious, about being bitten..."

Root's eyebrows quirked a fraction higher, "Oh?"

"Yes." The woman bit her lip, the warm fingers of her hand pressing a little deeper into the fabric of Root's jeans. "I was wondering if..."

Root's hand slid over the other woman's, "Of course."

Her voice was low, eyes hooded and she knew that she had the human right where she wanted her. Glamouring was a tool she had only relied on when she was a young vampire, just after her blood-lust died down. She had only used it until she perfected her method of hunting.

She seduced when she fed, making sure she left a lasting impression, to bring her meals back again and again. This woman was no different, her excitement palpable even without the obvious shift in her expression.

Root chuckled, her eyes moving for a passing server. She waved the man over, "We'll need a menu. Whatever she wants, on the house... It's her first time."

The woman glanced between them, her hand finally returning to her own lap. "Oh, but I'm not that hungry I wouldn't want to-"

Root licked her lips, "You always need to eat a little something when you give blood, sweetie."

xxx

Shaw blinked the exhaustion from her eyes and glanced around the living room. The TV was still on nearby and Gen had been far too quiet the last few hours.

Rolling her shoulders, the hunter slid off of the couch with a sigh. She collected her empty bottle and disposed of it before heading back toward the kid's room, to see what she was up to.

She curled her forefinger before rapping it lightly against the door, "Hey."

Gen glanced up from her book, a spy novel, by the looks of it. "Yes?"

"I think it's time you get some sleep..." Shaw said arching a brow, there were worse things the kid could be getting up to but she didn't care to hear from Finch if the kid didn't make his strictly set bed time.

Gen's lips pulled into a pout and Shaw's brow arched higher. The more serious expression seemed to do the trick and the kid huffed, making a show of placing her book mark between the pages before slamming her book shut.

Shaw rolled her eyes, not planning on feeding into the mini tantrum and instead flicked the light off by the switch at the door. She almost had the door closed when a small 'good night' met her ears.

"Yeah, yeah... Get some sleep." The hunter mumbled, tugging the door the rest of the way closed.

xxx

"Heard you had a proper meal..." Jason said, watching as Root stared down at the wolf they were still holding captive.

"Mhmm, I thought you might be happy about that." Root hummed, her tongue darting out to wet her lips at the memory. The synthetic blood earlier hadn't been enough but she felt completely re-energized after feeding from an actual host.

Her patience wasn't any better than it had been earlier and she'd had to force herself to use restraint against the woman she had fed from. The temptation to be rough and aggressive had been strong because of her frustration for the pathetic excuse for a wolf she was staring at now.

"Are you going to sing for me...?" She whispered, her fangs popping as she stepped closer to the man. He flinched on instinct but only panted in response, his face the only part of him capable of moving at the moment. She'd made it a point to break as many bones as possible earlier before leaving him to heal. The process was becoming slower and slower the more the torture went on.

"...Or am I going to have to get  _creative_?"

The man remained silent, his dim eyes struggling to focus even as she leaned over him.

"Root... How long are you going to keep this up?" Jason asked quietly from behind her.

The woman set her jaw, her red eyes shooting for her second in command. "I have a way to end this faster... But you won't like it." Her voice was low but there was still a playful quality to it, even though it was dripping with sarcasm.

Jason narrowed his eyes but did not move them away from Root's, "What is it?"

Root's lips split into a smirk and before he could properly respond, she was on the wolf, her teeth tearing into the flesh of his neck. It didn't take long for Jason to snap out of his shocked stupor but his attempts to pull the older vampire off were futile. She shrugged him off, sending him flying with one arm.

He rose to his feet but stayed put, glaring at Root as she pulled away from the wolf. Blood dripped from her chin in thick rivulets. She spit the viscous liquid out, coughing and stumbling away from the wolf.

"What the fuck were you thinking?" Jason asked, his voice coming out as a deep growl as he reached for a fresh towel from the table nearby.

"Relax..." Root said as she snatched the towel from his hand, her voice heavy with exasperation. "I only ingested a little, just enough to read the blood..."

"And, what did you get?" Jason asked, crossing his arms as he watched her clean herself up.

Root's lip curled up into a snarl and she glared at the gasping wolf in disdain, "Not much... Apparently these new alphas have the ability to control the biology and thoughts of their subordinates..."

"What?" Jason asked, startled. His eyes moved toward their captive then, "Would they know where we're keeping him then...?"

"Hard to say..." Root grumbled as she wiped away the last of the crimson from her pale skin, "Only if they had kept tabs from the beginning... Either way, I want him disposed of."

"I'll take care of it." Jason said giving her one more once over before taking a tentative step closer to their captive.

Root nodded, tossing the blood stained towel back on the table before stalking out of the room.

xxx

Shaw ran her tongue along her teeth, clearing any excess food from her pre-breakfast snack. The skillet in her hand sizzled as she cooked her fried eggs, a second even louder one popped nearby with thick cut bacon.

"What're you making?" A small voice asked suddenly, and Shaw's grip tightened on her spatula as she glared over her shoulder.

"Breakfast."

Gen cocked her head to the side slightly, kicking her feet at the high seat by the breakfast bar. "Smells good, can I have some?"

Shaw exhaled heavily, "Fine. Get me the eggs."

She looked back toward the food, ignoring the way that Gen's expression lit up at the response. The kid was by her side a few seconds later, curiously peeking around her to get a look at the food.

Shaw snatched the egg carton from her, barely resisting the urge to laugh as the kid backed away quickly when bacon grease collided with her skin.

"Wuss."

"Oww. How are you standing so close?" Gen asked, scowling at her from a safe distance and rubbing at the spot on her arm where the grease had made contact.

Shaw shrugged, unfazed by the grease even in a tank top and sweat pants. She nodded toward one of the cupboard nearby, "Make yourself useful and grab me a plate, two, actually."

Gen shot her a pouty glare but did as she was told, standing on her tip toes just to reach them.

"Don't break any of those, or I'll make sure Finch knows that it was you..." Shaw said without looking, a small smile playing at her lips. She wasn't used to being the tall one in the room.

"Whatever..." Gen muttered, holding out a plate.

Shaw shot her a look, "Drop the attitude or I'll eat first and make you wait..."

Gen huffed and clearly struggled to not roll her eyes, "Fine, I'm sorry and  _thank you_..."

"Better." Shaw said as she slid the fried eggs and bacon onto the kid's plate.

Gen's face lit up and she moved to reclaim her spot at the breakfast bar, without even a fork to eat with. "Silverware's in that drawer."

Shaw shook her head, torn between amused and exasperated at the kid's enthusiasm.

xxx

A few hours had passed since breakfast and Shaw had been lounging on the couch for most of them, aimlessly flipping through the channels. For as many as there were she could never find anything good on during the day. She paused in her channel surfing as she caught movement out of the corner of her eye.

Gen flopped down onto the smaller couch nearby, her arms overflowing with a shoe box, a cassette player and a pair of bulky old headphones.

The hunter arched a brow but said nothing before glancing back toward the TV. It took her a few more minutes before she was finally able to find something to watch.

Gen was quiet for the most part, the only sound coming mostly from her little collection of cassette tapes shifting around. It was only when she started huffing in frustration that Shaw looked over again.

This continued for a little while and Shaw mostly ignored it, she allowed the procedural on TV to play until the credits as she finished her beer. Once it moved into commercials, the hunter was on her feet moving for the fridge to grab another drink.

On her way back through, Shaw easily snatched the cassette player from the kid, the headphones unplugging in the process.

"Hey!" Gen cried, sitting up and trying to grab the device back.

"What is all this junk, anyway?" The hunter asked, her brow furrowing slightly as she turned the cassette player over in her hands.

Gen's cheeks puffed out slightly as she glared up at the woman, "It's my spy equipment..."

"Equipment?" Shaw scoffed, "More like  _relics_..."

Her hand moved for the volume dial curiously and Gen started reaching more urgently for the device. "N-no, don't touch that!"

"Why, super secret spy information on here? Don't worry I won't go and tell Russia you're spilling their secrets..." Shaw's voice trailed off as she increased the volume slightly and was met with the sound of panting. Her brow furrowed and she shot the kid a slightly disgusted look. "What the hell?"

"I still need to label them!" Gen muttered, snatching the cassette player back before returning to the couch and her seated position.

"What are they? You spying on your neighbors?" Shaw asked, amused. She settled herself on the arm of the longer couch and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Kind of..." Gen muttered, tucking some of her wild curls behind one ear. "There are a lot of bad guys that live there, I was going to stop them."

Shaw's smile fell slightly, "Bad guys? Did you ever consider that might have been a really bad idea...?"

The kid bit her lip and glanced up, "Yep. That's why I hid some of the other tapes... I was going to take them to the police but I wanted to get something big for them."

"Like what?"

Gen chewed on her lip more, sifting through the tapes. "Drugs and... The vampires, they were selling V."

Shaw arched a brow, intrigued. "You mean to tell me that you were spying on a drug ring?"

"Maybe..."

Shaw rolled her eyes, "You sound like you have a death wish, kid. Did you actually get anything?"

"I'm not sure..." Gen said blowing a stray strand of hair from her face, "My equipment is still set up..."

"But you think you got something..." Shaw repeated, a little more curious now.

"Yes." Gen said finally, sounding more sure of herself.

"Wait," Shaw said suddenly, everything falling into place. "It was Vadim, wasn't it. You overheard something in your apartment."

Gen glanced up, a more mischievous expression on her face now. "Maybe..."

xxx

"So where are these tapes at?" Shaw asked, stuffing her hands in to the pockets of her coat as she watched Gen weave in and out of the crowd on the busy sidewalk.

"There are a few down here... But the ones we really need to get are back at the building."

Shaw huffed, watching as the kid slowed to a stop by a rather beat up looking payphone.

She hadn't wanted to spend a whole lot of time on this outing but also figured that they could both use some air. Shaw knew just speaking for herself that she would go stir crazy stuck in the apartment with the little shit all weekend.

Gen didn't seem to have any concerns about time though and leisurely fiddled with the back of the phone box. Within the span of a few minutes she had worked the back panel loose, revealing the innards of the machine as well as a few of her tapes.

"Nice hiding spot..." Shaw said in a low voice, trying not to sound too impressed.

Gen shrugged and stuffed the tapes into her bag quickly before replacing the panel. "No one really cares what you do around here and they're not going to pay attention to some kid..."

Shaw glanced around them out of habit but, it was true. No one passing by seemed to care about what the two of them were doing and they would probably think that the tapes were of little significance.

"So only one last stop, right?" The hunter asked, trying to sound disinterested as they headed toward Gen's old apartment on the same route she had taken home from school everyday.

"Yep. Only one more stop..."

xxx

"You failed to mention the part about crawling around in the air vents..." Shaw muttered, brushing dirt and dust from her black skinny jeans. Gen giggled from where she was kneeling nearby, fiddling around with more old recording equipment that was set up on a few crates.

"Well, this _is_  a super secret operation..." The kid said as she popped the tapes out of the larger recorder.

"Yeah, right..." Shaw muttered, her hands back in her pockets now as she glanced around the cramped space. It was more open here and the ceiling above her head was far away. She could hear a few conversations filtering in softly from the separate apartments but there were also wires running higher up, she guessed to catch conversations from the other rooms. There was a small ladder built into the walls on either side for maintenance that Gen had obviously used to her advantage.

"How'd you find this spot?"

Even from the corner of her eye, Shaw could see Gen stiffen at the question. She let her eyes fall then, to watch the kid more closely.

"Vadim he... He'd make me leave the apartment a lot. He would have friends over, let them sleep in my bed. Or I would want to leave, when they would do drugs and act strange..."

Shaw's jaw flexed and she had to fight the urge to exit the small space and go up to punch the scum upstairs until he couldn't lift his head or arms to do a line.

"I didn't know where to go, I used to try sit outside in the hallway but... The neighbors scared me."

"You don't have any friends that live around here?" Shaw asked, her voice softer than normal.

"No, not really. Everyone thinks I'm a loser..." The kid kept her head down, fingers fidgeting with the eject button on her recording device. "I was coming home from school one day and I saw them doing something with the vent we crawled through... Gave me the idea."

Shaw took a few steps and closed the distance between them, kneeling beside the kid.

"I stole a screw driver from Vadim and made sure that I could get in whenever I needed to after I did some exploring. Slowly added stuff, the more I had to come down here..."

Silence fell over the small space then for a second and Shaw shifted her weight uncomfortably. Not from the position but the temptation to speak when she didn't know what to say. She cleared her throat and Gen's eyes rose slowly to meet her own.

"How about we see what you got?"

The kid shot her a shy smile before excitedly tugging two sets of headphones from her bag.

xxx

Most of the recordings were muffled conversations, swearing, static and the occasional sounds of Vadim with a woman. Although, thankfully, that seemed to be a rare occurrence. The two had been ready to give up when finally they found what they were looking for.

Vadim was mostly concerned with doing drugs, not selling them, but once V hit the market he appeared to have taken some interest in sales as well. Or, at least setting up the meetings in order to get a cheaper fix.

Shaw narrowed her eyes, listening as the man was threatened by his dealers.

 _"-How is it that you trade us that innocent little girl and next thing I know one of my lairs is compromised and my buddies are dead?" A male vampire snarled, obviously in charge. "And not long after another group is hit... Are you a_ snitch? _"_

Vadim's pathetically garbled response was barely audible but Shaw managed to catch the end of it. _"...I swear, I don't know what happened!"_

Of course, even working as separate groups the vampires were very aware with the goings on within their community.

The hunter's jaw flexed, wondering exactly what all ripples her mission would cause among the local vampire population and the humans entangled with them.

The silent static of the tape ended as a soft voice said something too quiet to make out and it was apparently enough to appease the aggressive leader.

 _"Keep our customers coming and maybe you'll earn our trust again..."_  His voice was dangerous and low, something about it made Shaw itch to fight.

 _"Y-yes, whatever you want..."_  Vadim stuttered, in no way trying to mask his fear.

_"Good. You're our golden goose but someone else could fill that role... Don't disappoint us again, Loginov. We'll be in touch..."_

Shaw glanced toward Gen as the audio faded to the obvious sounds of the vampires departing. The kid looked pale, her eyes unfocused. Shaw wasn't sure if it was out of concern for her relative or because of the reminder of the vampires she had so narrowly avoided falling prey to.

"Good job, kid." The hunter said, straightening up into a standing position. "Barely into your teens and you're gonna help bust a drug ring."

Gen blinked up at her owlishly for a second before a slow smile spread across her lips. "Really? You think they can use that?"

"We'll have to talk to your detective friend but I think in the right hands that can be useful... Or they can at least keep an eye on Vadim and get something from that."

Gen's expression brightened even more and she hastily began to repack her equipment, whatever had been bothering her before clearly no longer in the forefront of her mind.

"You hungry?" Shaw asked, watching as she scrambled to her feet. Gen nodded as she shouldered her bag, "Good. Let's go grab a bite to eat."

xxx

Shaw took a large bite of her greasy burger, her eyes trained on the detective that was waiting for the traffic to pass to cross the street.

"This might not have been a good idea..." Gen said around a mouthful of beef and cheese.

Carter folded her arms over her chest and stared at the two of them disapprovingly as she approached. "What do you have her eating?"

"Burger," Shaw said around her own mouthful, taking a swig of her drink to clear her mouth of the last bite. "From the best joint in town, was going to grab you one to but I didn't know your order."

The hunter's smile was verging on a smirk, Gen looked between the two adults, her eyes lingering on Carter's barely concealed exasperation.

"So what was this about you having info that could bring down a drug ring?" The detective asked, obviously a little skeptical.

"Gen here, and her Harriet the spy kit, got something very interesting for your buds over in narcotics."

Carter's left brow quirked a fraction higher, "I'm glad you finally remembered I'm in homicide... How did she come by this information?"

The detective's eyes moved toward the kid then, her expression falling to one more concerned than anything. Gen's eyes moved for the ground, avoiding Carter's gaze.

"You guys have been trying to crack down on the use of V, right?" Shaw asked suddenly, taking Carter's focus off of Gen.

"Yeah... That stuff is dangerous, had a few of my own cases where we found murderers who had injected themselves with the stuff. Most of them need to be put down, can't bring them in when they're like that... Too strong. Why?"

"Well, Gen's tapes show signs of more organized sales going down... They're not just getting random fixes anymore. If you can shut it down before it becomes more wide spread..."

"I think my buddy Riley over in narcotics will definitely been interested in this, had to partner up with him a few times recently... I'll try to focus on the fact that you got your hands on these unscathed. Good job."

Gen wrinkled her nose as Carter's hand mussed up her hair, "Hey..."

Carter smiled, "Miss you. Now, where are those tapes?"

As if on cue, a male voice carried across the street. "Carter, you comin' or what?"

"Yeah, yeah, Fusco. Give me a minute."

Gen fished the tapes she'd marked in her hideout and handed them over, a smile once again gracing her lips.

"Thanks hun, now... I'll see you tomorrow night, okay?"

"Okay!" Gen said, offering a small wave as the detective turned to head back toward the precinct. Carter paused though and fixed Shaw with a pointed look.

"And you, no more giving her fast food... Is that at a  _large_?" Carter asked, eyes moving for the fountain soda sitting just beside the bench.

"So what if it is, she's a growing girl." Shaw said, shoving the last bite of her burger into her mouth with a shrug of her shoulders.

Gen fought down the urge to giggle as Carter rolled her eyes, "Yeah... Good luck with that."

The kid frowned as the detective pointed in her general direction before bidding her final farewell and crossing the street to head back to work.

xxx

Shaw shoved her hands into the pockets of her leather jacket, her eyes moving quickly to take the in the faces and exits around her.

The music thrummed loudly from mounted speakers nearby and she could feel the bass the whole way through her body.

She relaxed slightly when she realized that most of the bodies around her appeared to be human. The new Fangtasia definitely had more of an appealing vibe to it, drawing in a much larger and diverse crowd.

The hunter moved for the bar, hoping to order herself a drink straight off the bat.

Carter had just come to get Gen a few hours before and the apartment had been quiet.  _Too quiet._

Shaw had been left with her thoughts, Cole and moving forward from what had happened. Finding out why her agency was developing its own monsters had been stuck in the forefront of her mind.

"You look like you could use something heavier." The deep voice was soft but snapped her out of her thoughts regardless.

"Daniel." Shaw said, a small quirk to the edge of her mouth the only suggestion of a smile. "I'll just have a beer, thanks."

The man shrugged and quickly moved to fill her order, "How've you been, Shaw? You're looking better..."

"I've been better." Shaw shot back, already looking bored. "Where's your boss?"

Daniel sighed, seeing that Shaw had obviously only come for business. He reached under the bar, pressing a button.

"I'm not about to get jumped, am I?" Shaw asked, remembering her first encounter where she'd nearly been ripped apart after being shot with her own gun.

Her torso ached in phantom memory and the thought left her unsettled. Despite her best efforts to act unaffected, she was weak and still healing.

"No, not a security feature. Just letting them know we need to talk to someone up here..." Daniel answered as he continued to wipe down the bar. Shaw nodded and remained quiet then as she watched the man move on to help some of the other customers.

The old Fangtasia had been more of a bar with a poor excuse for a dance floor, this new location was more of a club and by the looks of it, a lounge. Shaw liked this one better, it was more modern and the purple and black made the atmosphere more her style.

"Well, well... Isn't this a surprise."

Shaw's fingers tightened instinctively around her the glass of her beer and her eyes moved up toward the familiar voice. The one that still taunted her while she slept, even with their connection severed.

"Root."

"Shaw." The vampire shot back, her voice lighter than the hunter's, more playful and amused. "What brings you here? Is there something I can  _help_  you with?"

By the innuendo and the way her eyes swept down to Shaw's pulse point, the hunter had an idea of what she had in mind.

"Here to talk business, Root."

Root's eyes narrowed slightly, "Well.. Why don't we go somewhere a little more  _intimate_  then?"

Shaw looked unimpressed by the comment but rose to follow silently behind the other woman anyway. They weaved through the crowd, back toward the lounge area that Shaw had spotted on the way in.

Root kept walking passed several booths before moving for a set of stairs and Shaw wasn't surprised at all when she found herself being led to the largest of the booths. It had the best view overlooking the dance floor.

She settled herself far away from the vampire, practically opposite, before fixing her with a serious expression.

"Yes, yes... I know, you're here for  _business._ " Root said before she reached back then to press a button and within a few seconds a waiter appeared. "Doesn't mean that you can't enjoy yourself..."

Shaw ignored the way the other woman's voice took on an almost purr like quality, "I've already got a drink."

She held her beer up as if to remind Root but the other woman laughed, "Who said anything about  _you_?"

"Strawberry Pom Mojito, please. And I think this one could use a steak... Medium rare, right?"

"I'm feeling adventurous, let's make it  _rare_."

Root's lips spread into a wide smile as the waiter disappeared to carry out their order, "Oohh, so  _dangerous_."

"Shut up." Shaw growled before taking a sip of her beer. "Since when do you serve food?"

"We're trying to cater to our human patrons, I thought it might be a welcomed addition for you... If you ever decided to stop by."

Shaw tried her best to ignore the way Root sounded so pleased that she had in fact decided to come to the new location, "I'm not here for  _you_."

"Yes, yes... So we've established. What  _are_ you here for then... What business could you want with me?"

Shaw thumbed the edge of the label on her beer for a moment before glancing back up to meet the red eyes watching her curiously. "I need to know what you know, what you found out the night you hacked Cole's computer."

"Ahh..." Root sat back slightly with a sigh and averted her eyes. "You aren't healed yet, Shaw."

The hunter's jaw flexed, "So everyone keeps reminding me... What does that have to do with this?"

"I am not going to answer you just so you can run off and get yourself killed-"

"I don't plan on dying and it's not really any of your business anyway." Shaw bit back, her temper flaring as she thought about her dreams. At the thought that Root might be thinking about  _her_  too.

Silence fell over the space until the two of them were left staring out over the dance floor, the music taking over from where their conversation had left off.

The moment was broken a few minutes later when Root's drink arrived. Shaw watched the vampire accept the fruity looking drink and quirked a brow at the strawberry stuck on the rim.

"I thought vampires could only consume blood?" She asked, without thinking.

Root smirked as she took a sip before licking away the excess liquid. "Don't you think that would get  _boring_? We have to keep things interesting somehow... Every blood type has a different taste and texture... Every  _person_  brings their own unique qualities, based off of diet and gender... Even still, things tend to get bland when you've lived as long as I have. It's usually why vampire's mix sex and feeding... To keep things interesting."

Shaw swallowed, trying and failing to ignore the intensity Root's eyes took on as she spoke about feeding.

"We've started to develop our own carbonated and  _flavored blood._ Paying specific humans to stick to strict diets in order to achieve a certain flavor... Very expensive and time consuming but very worth it." As if to make a point she took another, deeper sip.

Shaw rolled her eyes, "Sounds like too much work. So you really aren't going to give me anything? I came the whole way in here for nothing?"

Root's expression went neutral but there was a hard edge to her eyes now, "You came here for something I am not ready to give and instead I offered my hospitality... If you don't want that, that is your own choice."

Shaw was about to argue when their waiter reappeared, placing her steak on the coffee table between them.

"It really was a pleasure to see you again, Shaw. Come back when you're healed... Maybe I'll have different answer for you then." Root said as she rose gracefully to her feet, "While you're at it, bring her a glass of wine... That meat is too good for beer."

Shaw frowned deeply as she watched the vampire walk away with her own drink in hand.


End file.
